


Love Me Apocalyptic

by wellthizizdeprezzing



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Apocalypse, Emma and Regina realizing their feelings, Eventual Smut, F/F, Soulmate AU, Survival, Transformation, Vampire AU, Vampire!Regina, Vampires, end of the world AU, people becoming vampires, to a certain extent I guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2019-11-06 01:32:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 58,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17930237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellthizizdeprezzing/pseuds/wellthizizdeprezzing
Summary: Vampire Apocalypse AU. The end of the world is nigh in the form of a virus. But the residents of Storybrooke are safe behind their magic walls, right? Wrong, because evil always finds a way to thwart good. A story in which it takes the end of the world for Regina and Emma to notice their feelings for one another.





	1. The Beginning of the End

* * *

_Baby, come on, love me apocalyptic!_

_-Halestorm, Apocalyptic-_

* * *

_**'Man goes crazy and attacks his whole family while they sleep, draining them of their blood. Schizophrenia suspected'** _

_**'Bizarre case of young teen attacking several people on the street at night; drinking their blood before running away. Witnesses claim he ran faster than humanely possible. Police claim drugs caused this'** _

_**'Random and mysterious attacks of a similar nature continue to occur. What could be causing the phenomena of people suddenly going crazy and attacking other people for their blood? Is it a new drug on the market? Or a sudden rise in psychopathy?'** _

_**'Reports of similar cases have been popping up all over the US, from small towns and suburbs to the big cities. Is this the work of a cult?'** _

_**'A huge crowd of these so called, cult wackos, invaded a blood bank in NYC and brutally murdered staff before making away with over two thousand liters of blood. What could they be using it for?'** _

_**'Police officer shoots one of the cultists in the head only to have it get back up. See his terrified testimony here'** _

_**'The police in the city of Chicago lead an ambush on one of the bases where these cultists were hiding. Lone survivor Officer Jenkins tells the terrifying tale of how no bullet could stop them'** _

_**'People are calling these cultists zombies. Is there any merit to that statement?'** _

_**'Citizens are getting concerned as the number of these attacks rises. They demand safety from the government'** _

_**'DO NOT GO OUT AT NIGHT! Majority of attacks happen at night police officials say'** _

_**'Government officials are trying to figure out what is causing this phenomena; turn to scientists to analyze a captured 'patient' '** _

_**'Citizens fight back. All over the US people are coming together in communities and setting up protective housing while they fight off the attacks that occur at night'** _

_**'Scientists have finally found the answer to what is occurring! But is a cure in the works?'** _

_**'New and never before seen disease is the cause of these sudden changes in loved ones'** _

_**'Travel bans are erected to keep the infection contained'** _

_**'Scientists call the infected 'vampires' and there is a good reason for it. Here's how to protect yourself against them'** _

_**'Government has issued a state of emergency. US is under Marshall law'** _

_**'Government to issue out guns and food and water to the survivors in the cities'** _

_**'Army has been deployed; officials hope the military will be able to rid the vampires'** _

_**'A guide to symptoms and how to check if a friend or loved one has been struck with vampirisim'** _

_**'Still no cure. Scientists are beginning to get worried. Proclaim that this might be the hardest disease to crack yet due to its random selection of a host'** _

_**'Religious zealots proclaim that end of the world is here'** _

_**'Death tolls continue to rise; as do numbers of the infected'** _

_**'Travel ban failed; reports of infection in Europe and Asia'** _

_**'Estimated that infected count is well over the 30,000s now'** _

_**'Six months later; the true extent of the infection and the lives ruined by it'** _

_**'Eight months later and the desperation of no solution to this problem is causing riots'** _

_**'Officials plead with citizens to remain patient and safe'** _

_**'The Apocalypse is here to stay'** _

Each headline more desperate and fraught with danger than the last. What started off as innocent, just another report on another common crime, quickly grew into an epidemic, than a pandemic. And the last headline that Regina had read, left the most lasting of impressions. It was hopeless, filled with despair and fear. Yes, the apocalypse had arrived finally and it was here to stay.

No one knew how it started. Who patient zero was. There was no point in trying to find them anyways, because the virus spread with a frightening ferocity. Old, young, sick, healthy, all were affected. No one was discriminated against. In the span of three months over ten thousand were affected and the numbers continued to climb up. Scientists tried desperately to find a cure. Armies burned those infected alive and tried to protect those who were still unchanged. But panic breed hatred and hostility and those who were alive in the camps made for survivors would turn on one another as well. There was no trust to be found. The outside world was slowly crumbling to pieces, captured in a burning inferno as cities toppled, governments fell apart, and blood flooded the streets.

The residents of Storybrooke took no part in this, hiding behind their walls of protective magic, invisible to others, and hopefully never having to deal with this. Still, they were uneasy, murmuring in low voices as they watched the TV in Granny's diner report on nearby cities and the chaos that had ensued in the past hour alone. Everyday out there was a struggle for survival.

Vampires, they were called, just like in the stories of old. Humans who had an insane craving for blood and that would attack others, ripping out their jugulars and drinking them dry before going off to find another victim. Symptoms didn't always appear at first for those who had been infected. But common signs included an aversion to sunlight, inability to digest normal foods, fast reflexes, super senses, and bloodlust. How one became infected was still unclear. People would just wake up one day and have it.

That's what made it so scary. It struck randomly and many lost loved ones if not to the disease than to some vampire's fangs. Humans were being hunted down by these monsters and they were beginning to fight back with fire and stakes to the heart, the only way to really kill these beasts for regular mortal weapons did not work.

As Mayor of Storybrooke, Regina made sure to keep tabs on all the outside world activities and progress on the disease. Even though they were safe behind the power of her curse, she needed to reassure her constituents of their safety and that they shouldn't worry over the plight of humans. That nothing would harm them here.

Most of her citizens were content with that. Except, of course, for Emma.

"Shouldn't we do something about this?" she gestured to the screen playing in Regina's mayoral office. The blonde had barged in like she normally did, rudely, into Regina's work space.

"Emma, none of that concerns us."

"Yes, yes it does!" Emma spat that out like it should be obvious.

"Explain to me, how?" Regina rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily. She had too much paperwork to be bothering with this right now. She had to focus on bettering her town and not on the stupid humans running around and killing each other senselessly.

"Really?" Emma's brows went up, as if shocked that Regina didn't understand something. She slapped her palms onto the desk top. "We have magic. We could be out there saving lives. Helping them."

Regina sighed again, pushed her paperwork aside. It looked like it was going to have to wait. This was going to be a long debate.

"Emma, just because we have magic does not mean we have the right, or the responsibility, to insert ourselves into other people's issues."

"Regina, this is something huge! It's the apocalypse!"

"Don't buy into that ridiculous label. It is not the apocalypse. I'm sure the humans will come up with something to alleviate the situation." Regina was a tad skeptical about the use of such a title. Sure, the situation was horrific, but not enough to warrant such a moniker. Humans were so over dramatic sometimes.

"How can you be so callous," Emma hissed. "How can you be so uncaring about other's lives. With our magic, we can reverse the disease. We can heal thousands of people!"

"I am not being callous. I am being reasonable. What you are doing, is being naive and  _unreasonable_ ," Regina lectured, holding up a stern finger. "Healing that many people is unmanageable. We do not even know if magic can help! All we would be doing is getting in the way."

"You're just scared. Content to stay in your little safe bubble-"

Regina got up roughly, planting her own palms on the table with a loud smack. "I happen to be the mayor of this 'safe little bubble'," the brunette sneered. "And as such is the case, they are my first priority, not the rest of the world. Do not place your hero complex on me."

Emma looks disgruntled, hurt even. "I thought you were...redeemed," she said softly and Regina's features soften a bit as Emma leans off the table. Perhaps Regina has been a bit too harsh. Her and the blonde are tentative friends, so kind words are needed sometimes. "I understand your concern, Emma. I know you have the insatiable need to sacrifice your time and health to help others, but remember that your savior role only extends to the limits of this town. You are not obligated to help others, past what fate has decreed."

"I was once a part of the outside world, Regina. It doesn't sit right with me to hide here safely. Not when I feel like we could hold the key to helping revert all that's happened. Like we could cure them." Emma looks at her hands, thinking of the magic she and Regina could wield together. "We've always used magic to get rid of the huge threats to our town."

"Emma," Regina shakes her head and also leans back. She knows she cannot outright deny Emma from doing anything. It would only make the blonde want to do it more. So she chooses the safe option. "Let us talk about this another time. In more detail."

Emma considers this and opts to accept the olive branch offered to her. She knows that arguing further is pointless. Both of them are hard headed and when pushed and challenged will not give an inch. "Granny's dinner, seven pm."

"Emma-" Regina wants to say that that is too early. When she meant later, she meant as in a week from now, or better yet, never. But the other woman is already striding out of the office, leaving Regina with an appointment to uphold.

"Granny's it is," Regina says unhappily to herself before sitting down and getting back to neglected work.

* * *

Regina arrives at seven on the dot, knowing that Emma will not be here until at least ten minutes after. She takes the liberty of ordering them food. A grilled cheese and fries for Emma and a salad for herself. She gets a to go order for Henry whose staying at Snow's house right now. Regina doesn't trust the woman to fully feed her son given her cooking skills. They're only slightly better than Emma's and Emma burns toast.

Waiting patiently in her booth and perusing her phone, the door bell jingles and in stumbles Killian, drunk no doubt. Regina notices him and immediately her lips dip down. She had thought he was gone.

"Ah, Regina," he greets, flashing what he must think is a charming smile when he notices her face. It makes her want to carve his mouth off. "What are you doing here, love?" He leans on the booth across from hers, comfortable, like he has any right to be like that around her. Not when he dated Emma, forcing her into a relationship she thought she had to upkeep just because she was tasked with making happy endings for others.

"Someone else's happy ending should not come at the cost of your own," Regina had told her, after Emma had come to her house, looking like a conflicted mess when Hook had asked her to marry him.

The day after Emma had broken up with him and the smile she wore on her face matched Regina's own, though the brunette didn't understand why she was happy. She simply surmised that Emma's happiness was infectious. And that Regina's hatred for Hook was not because he monopolized all of Emma's time when they were together, but because he was a crook and he had hurt Regina and had not had to work anywhere nearly as hard to earn a redemption when she had to move the heavens and earth for a sliver of trust and acceptance among the town's populace.

She had many grievances towards him, most of them revolving around Emma, but she had no idea as to why this was the case.

"I'm here to eat, as that is what diners are for," she snarked back at him, unable to truly get rid of her distaste for him despite him no longer dating Emma.

"Waiting for Emma?" he arched a brow and she bristled. Why was the pirate still asking about her? They had been broken up for two months by now.

"She is none of your concern. Stop meddling into her private life." She feels a surge of protectiveness inside her chest even as she tries to keep her tone even and casual.

She must have come off as too defensive because he lifted his hook and hand up in a 'relax' gesture before sliding into the booth he had been leaning on. "She is my friend. As she is yours," he said, looking at her with some sort of deeper meaning to the word friend. She did not like it, did not like the way he made it sound slimy.

"I thought you were supposed to be gone. Off to sail the ocean and collect treasure and more herpes?"

"I  _was_  gone." He did not seem put off by her words, too used to her acidulous nature towards him by now. She longed for the days were even a sharp glare from her was enough to make men wet their trousers.

"Gone for longer," she clarified, not bothering anymore to hide her loathing of him. Once when he had dated Emma she had hidden it, only for the sake of the blonde, for the sake of her happiness. But now that they were no longer romantically involved there was no need for such niceties towards the pirate.

"Ah, well, why didn't your majesty just mention it earlier. I'll be sailing off as soon as you say so," he mockingly said. He had no love for Regina either, though while hers was hot and tempestuous, his was cool and mocking and he received much enjoyment from her hatred of him, from pushing her buttons. It amused him and he treated it like a game. How far could he push until she snapped?

There had once been a time when her hatred meant more; had a truly terrifying sway over the people. She really misses those days and it's all Hook's fault that she does. He brings something dark out in her, something she had long tried to get rid of for the sake of Emma and the Henry.

He sobers up a bit, thoughts traveling elsewhere momentarily. "The outside world is not exactly as I was hoping it would be."

"Run into some vampires?"

"More like they ran into my sword." He smirks, seriousness dropping, and she rolls her eyes. Why couldn't it have been the opposite?

"Perhaps it was the best for them. If they had drunk your blood, they might have died of one of the many diseases you carry."

Hook ignores her barbs, carrying on. "Given the calamity of the outside world, I decided it safer to retire to Storybrooke until the waters have calmed down. Not good for traveling. Got too many people who care about me back home."

_Who would care about you?_ Regina sneers but says nothing more as she spots someone familiar coming in. While she openly derides Hook to his face, she will not do so in the presence of this person only because she doesn't want to worry them. They don't know the true extent of her dark emotions towards Hook and Regina doesn't want to mar her newly reforged persona over someone who shouldn't bother her so much yet does. She shouldn't let the pirate drag the evil queen out but it is so difficult not to.

Swallowing down a sip of her drink, she tries to recover her good humor.

The door jingles and Emma strides in. Her eyes slide over Regina and right to Hook. "Killian!" she exclaims joyfully, gaze bright like she's a kid just woken up to a lot of presents on Christmas day, and he gets up from his seat, eyes crinkling with a similar joy. They hug and Regina balls her hand into a fist under the table and tries to not count the seconds their hug lasts. A hug that is far too intimate on the pirate's part, hand on the small of Emma's back like it belongs there.

"Emma, love, it's so good to see you," he lets go but he's still standing too close and Regina's hand twitches with the urge to magic them apart. She keeps it tightly closed.

"When did you get back?" Emma asks, all her attentions on him. Any bad blood that may have arisen because of the break up seems to have washed away, been pushed to the back of their minds by the pure elation at being able to see each other once more. There's genuine care there, breed not specifically of romantic love but something deeper that Regina wishes she could have. That sort of care for another no matter how awful the other can be.

"About a week ago. It's rough seas out there and not in the way I like it."

"Yea, I know what you mean." Concern flashes on her face at his words and she glances up and down him to make sure he is in one piece.

"Don't worry love, they didn't get so much as a single fang on me," he gives her a cocky smile.

"I'm glad to see you're all in one piece," and her smile is relieved and Regina thinks about how Hook doesn't deserve to be so cared about by someone as sweet as Emma. She wants this interaction to end, so she not so subtly clears her throat and Emma checks out of the corner of her eye to see what's made the noise and she recalls with a jolt what she is here for, and for who. "We have to catch up sometime soon, Killian. I need to talk to Regina about something important first."

"Drinks?" Hook asks and Emma nods her head yes. Then he is off, mercifully striding out the diner.

"Did you know he was back?" Emma asks as she takes his seat.

"No, if I had I would have barricaded him from getting back in," Regina snipes because she is still unreasonably upset at the hug. Emma and her are friends yet they do not hug like that. Regina swallows down her bitter and surprising surge of jealousy with a bite of salad, food arriving just in time. She expected to feel less like this when Emma finally broke up with the scoundrel- she was only upset because Emma didn't deserve that man, she deserved better, and for no other reason- so then why did she still get so inexplicably hostile when he was around?

Maybe it was his lack of cleanliness, or simply his arrogance in thinking he was such a catch.

"You got me grilled cheese?" Emma asks in surprise, eyeing the plate in front of her. "Even though you complain about how bad it is."

"I know you love this heart attack inducing food. When you get one maybe you'll realize how right I was all along." Regina tries to hide her concern with a snippy comment.

"I won't convert to your cult of salads," Emma says, biting down into her meal with relish and Regina lowers her eyes to avoid staring at the way Emma's tongue works to lick up some melted cheese from the bottom of her lip.

"I do not have a cult of salads," Regina scoffs, stabbing down on her lettuce.

"I disagree. What did you have for lunch?"

"A salad."

"And for dinner you're having?" Emma looks expectantly, face playful.

Regina sighs. "I am not doing this, Emma."

"You're having a salad," Emma finishes. "And for breakfast, you probably had a salad too."

"I did not. I had a nutritious meal of yogurt and granola."

"Basically salad."

"Your logic is incredibly flawed. What part of yogurt and granola translates to lettuce and tomato. I do not know how you've-" Regina stops herself, as it is often too easy for her to get wrapped up in inane conversation with the blonde. "Emma, we are not here to discuss salads."

"No, you're right. We're here to discuss what we're going to do about the problem beyond our borders."

"I've thought about what you've said. And I've come up with a solution."

"Really?" Emma is genuinely pleased by Regina considering her words which makes the brunette feel a bit bad about what she says next. But she would be lying if she didn't derive a bit of pleasure from teasing and annoying Emma even still when their relationship is amicable.

"We're going to do," Regina leans in to increase suspense, Emma leaning in as well. "Nothing."

It takes a moment for that to sink in and Emma drops back into her seat, frowning. "Don't be a dick, Regina. I actually thought you had taken me seriously for once."

_Can't be what I don't have,_  Regina thinks but says, "Emma, have you contemplated perhaps that you weren't the only one whose mind that thought crossed. The thought of the horror going on in the outside world?"

"So you thought about it?"

"I did. As soon as I heard what happened, I was putting defenses up on the town because I knew I had to protect Henry. Had to protect you. And the rest of the town, even those idiot parents of yours." She reaches across and pats Emma's hand softly, trying to be comforting but she's never been good at that. Only good at hurting others and she knows her words and decision will ultimately hurt Emma whose come to think of Regina as her partner in crime on battling evil, but Regina's analyzed this situation and there is no easy way to fix it, not now at least.

"But then you chickened out," Emma fills in, in the silence that follows.

"No." She shakes her head. "Then I threw away my ideas of grandiose and began to think rationally. It is impossible to do anything to help those people. We have no idea what is causing these infections. You cannot just wave a hand and make it disappear without knowing the root of the cause. So let us leave it in the human's hands. Let them figure out the cause of it, and then we can do something about it. Than we can ride in on our white horses."

Emma frowns more deeply and pulls her hand back. "We still do nothing. Nothing until the end. What if there is no cure? What if  _we_  would be the ones to discover it?"

"Emma," Regina's voice takes on a hard edge. She knows the blonde cares deeply for the outside world even though it had treated her horribly. Though it could be argued that Regina's curse was what made that happen, but semantics. "Think of Henry. How do you think he would feel about you going out there uselessly, losing your life for no reason? What if you get infected? It's highly possible."

"Hazmat suits-"

"They don't work. I've read the articles. I've kept myself updated on the situation. I know exactly what is going on and I know that there is no place for us out there right now. Henry would be devastated if he had to lose you again."

Regina knows the Henry card is working. It always works. Emma relents. "I guess..." and she hates to give in but she is losing this battle to Regina's logic. "But promise me, we will at least attempt to do something about this."

"I promise," Regina says, because she knows that no matter what stupid undertaking Emma takes, she will be by her side anyways. Because Henry would want it, would want Regina to protect Emma from dying while on savior duty, and also because what are friends for if not to save each other when the going gets tough.

However, it turned out that Regina would have to fulfill her promise sooner than she thought, because not four days after they had that conversation in the diner, three visitors arrived at their doorstep.


	2. What Lies Beyond the Wall

* * *

_Last night I heard the screaming, loud voices behind the wall_

_-Behind the Wall, Tracey Chapman-_

* * *

Regina arrived by the border of the town in a cloud of purple smoke. She had teleported here as quickly as she could upon receiving a distressed phone call from Emma. The blonde had been on her lunch break, checking the borders of the town to make sure they were up and running when she had spotted something that had sent her into an agitated state.

"Emma!" Regina cried out, picking her way across the brush that lined the forest floor. She grimaced when her heel got stuck in the soft floor and she wretched it free. Heels were not the best for this, but she hadn't hesitated to come here and that left her in her business clothing and not ready for an impromptu hike in the woods.

Emma glanced back at Regina, her shoulders stiff, hands fisted by her thighs. Hook was by her side, looking less tense, and now it was Regina's hands that were curling up into fists. What was  _he_ doing here? With Emma in the middle of the woods of all places. Suspicions and unsavory scenarios all involving Hook and Emma rekindling their romance fill her head and make her mouth taste bitter.

"Where are they?" Regina asked instead, stopping by Emma, Hook on the blonde's other side. She wouldn't think such things now, she had other things to focus on.

"There." Emma pointed straight ahead to three huddled figures. They were hiding behind some trees. They looked young, in their early twenties, and scared, bruises and blood dotting their body. The male of the group held a crowbar in a death grip in his hand while the two women cowered next to him, sobbing softly.

Regina recalled Emma's frantic call before, the breathless blonde trying to explain away what had happened. "Regina-Regina! I was out on a walk and it was by the border of the town, cause you know, I was feeling unsettled by it all and thought I should just walk around there and check-"

"Ms. Swan, calm down. Slow down. I cannot understand a word you're saying." The mayor's tone was calm and collected yet she felt worried. Had something happened?

Emma took a gasp of air, slowing herself down. "Uh, sorry. It's just, can you come here and check this out?"

"Check what out?"

"There's someone at the magical barrier."

That had been all Regina needed to hear. She had arrived a second later. Now, she approached the wall of invisible magic and pressed her hand against it. It hummed under her touch and she closed her eyes briefly in order to get a concise reading. "The wall is fine. Nothing should be able to get through it."

"I'm not worried about the wall, Regina!" Emma said with some exasperation, coming alive from her frozen state. "I'm worried about the people! They look to be in danger. We need to get them to safety."

"You want us to bring them in?" If Regina was any less cultured she would have wrinkled up her nose. All she did was turn on her heel to stare at Emma in mild distaste.

"Yes. Is that a hard concept to grasp?"

"It is. Are you not thinking correctly? What if they're infected? Then what. You'd be endangering the safety of the whole town over a handful of strangers that look like they're on the last leg of their existence anyhow."

"Really?" Emma planted her hands on her hips, glaring at Regina. It would have been intimidating if Emma had been anyone else. Even David's squint was more menacing and he was a complete sappy dolt. Emma just looked like a puppy. "Are you going to be that...that heartless? What if they're not infected? And what if we could be the difference between them surviving and dying?"

"That is a big if, Emma. You have to stop thinking with your heart and more with your head." Regina tried to keep her tone soft because she knew Emma's hero complex and how deeply it affected her. But this was a dire situation. Compassion didn't exist in such tense pandemic situations. Survival of one's self was the utmost concern. For Regina, she cared more about Henry's safety than her own. She would never do anything to endanger him. Emma clearly wasn't thinking of the danger it could bring their son if they let these possibly infected strangers in.

Emma clenched her jaw and angrily looked off to the trees on her left, their moral standoff still in full swing.

Hook cleared his throat. "Not to make things worse, but you may want to look at that." He jerked his chin to the scene occurring past the wall. Regina turned on her heel. She could make out the shape of two of them. Two infected. They were walking with an animilistic prowl towards the three humans. There was no doubt about what was going to happen. The humans saw them and then in panic darted away from their hiding spot, running deeper into the woods and away from the wall. Spotting their prey running, the vampires picked up the pace and tore after them, so fast it was terrifying.

Regina knew the sheriff would want to do something about this. And she couldn't have that.

"Em-" but Regina was cut off when the blonde roughly pushed past her and to her horror, walked right through the barrier like it was nothing.

Regina's eyes opened wide and so did her mouth. "Emma! Emma what are you doing?" Did the blonde have no consideration for her own safety?!

But the blonde couldn't hear her. No one on the other side of the magical barrier could.

She just kept striding towards the quivering trio, loaded gun in hand.

"You stupid-" Regina wrung her hands, grinding her teeth.

"You can keep standing there and bemoaning and cursing her name, your majesty, but I'm going to go help her," Hook spoke up, ever trying to be the noble man he wasn't, and drawing his sword from where it was hidden by his side, he passed the barrier too.

Of all the irresponsible things to do! Emma could get infected over her stupid morals. And then what? Henry would be without his birth mother and would never forgive Regina for letting that happen. Gritting her teeth, she summoned up a cross bow, the barrier rippling around her as she passed through and stalked off after Emma and Hook.

"Hey, over here! Over here!" Emma cried, waving her gun and hand around to get the humans to come to her. They saw her and changed paths to run to her, hope fueling their tired and desperate motions. "We're here to help you!"

_Yes, yell loudly to attract the vampires to us more,_  Regina griped internally but hefted her crossbow up higher. The vampires were gaining too much traction on the humans, closing the distance between them quickly; they were too nimble and the humans stumbled and were hindered by the dense underbrush. Even with the vampires avoiding patches of sunlight scattered because of the trees, they were fast and smooth, all limber motion. They made even Regina's grace in heels look clumsy and uncoordinated.

She leveled her weapon, squinted, and fired it. The arrow went flying between the gap of the running trio and right into the blonde male vampire's shoulder. He didn't even seem to register it and Regina felt worry coalesce in her stomach. If only she had her magic outside the town walls, she would have just set both of them on fire with a simple flick of her fingers.

Taking that cue, Emma began to shoot at the vampires. Still, that did nothing to them, did not even slow down their progress, and Emma was out six bullets later, cursing at her revolver. "I don't suppose you could magic me some more bullets?" Emma asked as Regina reloaded her crossbow. As much as she hated to admit it, Snow would be much better at this. She was deadly with the bow and arrow and would have managed a strike directly to the monster's hearts. The weapon felt clunky in her hands.

"And I don't suppose you've recalled I do not have magic here," Regina said, aiming again; this time the blonde vampire was prepared and actually ducked it. The audacity of it!

"Hook?" Emma turned hopefully to the pirate who relieved himself of a pistol he had hidden somewhere within the confines of his dark coat. "That's all I've got love. Something tells me, it won't work. But do not worry Emma. We will get out of this alive."

Regina wanted to gag in revulsion. Trust the pirate to speak sappy sentiments even in life or death situations. She instead focused on loading up her weapon again.

The three people were gradually getting closer. Once they were close enough, Regina would authorize them through the barrier, she supposed, on Emma's instance. Regina would have to quarantine them first for symptoms before letting them roam free.

But the vampires were even closer and then the shortest girl of the group fell down, tripping on some root.

"No!" burst out of Emma's mouth as the blonde rushed forwards, slapping ferns and branches aside, but she was too far ahead to do anything.

The boy and other girl registered their fallen comrade. "Go, go to them," he pushed the young red head in Emma's direction as he turned on his heel to go save the blonde on the floor.

"But Jack-"

"Go Elisa!" He didn't stay put to argue and divided the red head stalled, eyes open in horror.

His reflexes weren't enough. The two vampires were already on the girl and she was screaming and crying and trying to throw them off but blood was spraying out of her like a hose as they fed on her neck.

"Get off of her!" Jack cried out, swinging down with his crowbar on the back of the taller vampires head. The vampire merely looked up and then tackled him down in a blur of motion. And now it was Jack's turn to be on the floor, screaming for his life.

The other girl's cries had already stopped, her hand flopping down uselessly in her own puddle of blood as the vampire on her continued to feed. Elisa's cries took over as her hands came up to her face.

"Shit! Fuck!" Emma cursed, firing her gun at the vampire on Jack. It did nothing.

Regina's legs churned frantically as she ran after Emma, her feet slipping out of her heels to gain more traction, Hook joining her. She couldn't believe the idiot was just charging ahead like that. "Emma, come back here!"

"Emma!" Hook hollered, fear also lacing his words.

Everything felt like it was going too fast and too slow at the same time.

Both vampires rose from their meals, done with their recent victims. Jack and the other girl's eyes stared up at the sky, never to see it again. But the vampires eyes were focused on Emma who had now run to Elisa and wrapped a protective arm around her as she pushed the frozen girl away, foolishly turning her back on the infected.

"Go, run. Go to my friends," she urged. She didn't see how close the vampires were, teeth and mouths smeared in blood- she wouldn't turn around in time.

Panic flared to life in Regina and her fingers twitched pulling the trigger on her weapon. An arrow made it's home in the blonde vampire's eye and he let out a choked cry of surprise, taking a moment in his attack to pause to pull it out, eyeball and all attached to it. His comrade was the one who finally got a hand on Emma, gripping her shoulder hard.

His lips opened up in a sneer and Regina was sure that he would bit down on Emma but he didn't. "Await your turn to be a meal, blondie. The kids were first." And then he threw Emma right into a tree. Regina didn't know whether to be relieved or upset. She chose the former. At least Emma wasn't dead. Yet.

Emma hit it hard with a resounding crack and she felt pain explode all along her back and her skull, white filling her vision as she fell onto the ground, trying frantically to regain her breathing. She scrambled up to her feet, trying to find the gun she had displaced. She had no idea these vampires moved so fast. Or were so strong.

Shit. Shit shit shit. She should have listened to Regina. Should have been better prepared and now her brashness could get them all hurt.

There was another shrill scream and Emma knew it was the last remaining girl's cries.

A rough hand grasped her and pulled her up. Through the white haze, Emma could make out it was Regina. "Why didn't you go to Elisa? Why?" Righteous anger filled her. "We could have saved her. I was fine-"

"We can't save them. We can't- we didn't save anyone, Emma." Regina's voice was tired and full of regret. "This is why, this is why I told you no. All we can do is try to save ourselves now."

Emma swallowed heavily and rose to her feet unsteadily. She had been stupid. She had dragged her friends along on a suicide mission.

"Emma, Regina, hurry!" Hook called out as he valiantly swung his sword around- the vampires had already finished their meal and were looking for more. The two vampires were playing games with him, taking their time to prowl forwards.

"Look at him. Thinks he can do something with that little sword of his," jeered the tall vampire.

"Hook!" Emma gritted out, worry consuming her for her friend. Without thinking too much about it, she grabbed the crossbow out of Regina's hands and fired one right into the cross of the taller vampire's back. He stumbled forward in shock, and Hook, who had been waving his sword around to ward both of them off, took this chance to slice the vampire's head clean off. It flew and landed somewhere in a pile of leaves.

The second vampire took this chance to lunge at Hook who slipped onto his back in his hurry to escape. Hook held his blooded sword out as if ward the blonde off, but it wasn't needed. He had landed in one of the few huge patches of sunlight and the vampire could only snarl at him.

"Sunlight. Hook, get him into the sunlight!" Regina called out as sudden realization struck her. Her panicked mind grew less clouded as bits and pieces of ways to dismantle a vampire crowded into her head. The information made her feel more at ease, more in control of this situation.

"Why would I-" he looked at her like she was crazy.

"Do it!" Emma was reloading the cross bow. She had no idea why Regina would suggest this but she was supporting her anyways.

The blonde vampire snarled at them now, catching the arrow midair right before it hit him in the chest. "I'll kill you before you get to do that!" he snarled out and snapped the arrow in half. Hook scrambled up to his feet and the vampire whirled in again to face him only to get a faceful of sword. It stuck right out through the back of his skull and Hook tugged on it, pulling the vampire into the sun.

The effect was instantaneous. Smoke curled up from his skin and his hands began to claw in pain as he fell to his knees, the smoke quickly turning into flames that set him ablaze.

"Shit!" Hook wretched his sword free and jumped away, watching the flames consume the blonde vampire. His screams stopped shortly and Hook looked up at wonder at Regina and Emma who were now coming closer to him. "Are they supposed to do that?"

"Yes. Sunlight is one of their weaknesses. I do not know why, but it is a good thing it is." Regina looked at the charred corpse, wondering why a vampire would be out hunting during the day. They were creatures of nightly habit. They must have been very starved if they were looking for blood right now.

Something latched onto her ankle suddenly and she jumped up in fright, tripping over her own feet in her rush to get free. She landed on the grass, Emma and Hook's weapons both trained on the new adversary. But it turned out to be only the second vampire. Still very much alive.

It's body wiggled on the ground, hands groping, before it rose in one swift movement.

"The only way to kill them is with a stake! Or fire!" Regina shouted out from where she lay on the forest floor as she watched the vampire stumble over to where its decapitated head was. Hook looked a little green at seeing something he had just cut the head off moving again.

Emma nodded her head in understanding, putting her crossbow aside for something else. She grabbed a sturdy looking branch off of the floor. "Hook!" she extended it towards to him. It took him a second to recognize what she wanted to do with it before he swung his sword down at an angle, leaving a sharp tip. With a howl, Emma charged forwards and plunged the weapon through the back of the vampire, right where it's heart was.

If it's head had been attached to it's body, it would have hissed in pain. As it was, it fell down to its knees and Emma held onto the makeshift stake, twisting it in deeper. The body began to disintegrate rapidly until nothing but ash lay in a pile where the body had once been.

Panting heavily, Emma tossed the stick aside and wiped her sticky hands on her pants.

She exchanged an unsure look with Regina who said simply, "let us go home."

Emma nodded her head, trying hard not to look back at the bodies of those they had failed to protect.

Despair clung to her and she tried to hide it as she offered up a hand to pick Regina back up. Hook did not sheathe his sword, keeping a wary eye on the forest around them for more enemies. They walked in silence until they passed the town line, their failure weighing heavily on their minds. Once back safely in Storybrooke, Regina did not wait a moment more to speak what was on her mind.

"Of all the stupid things to do!" Regina whirled on Emma. "You could have been killed by those vampires. Could have left Henry without a mother! You really do not think, do you?"

Emma looked guilty at the mention of Henry but she was stubborn. Failure stung at her, made her upset. She was the savior and yet she hadn't managed to save anyone of those kids. The anger in her veins flared out and she directed it at Regina like she always did. "I couldn't just stand by and let it happen. I know you would."

"And so what if I would have? My priority is this town."

"So, no one else matters?" In Emma's eyes was a challenge. Regina knew that Emma wanted her to say yes other people mattered but Regina wasn't going to say that even if refusing to say it would cause Emma to lose faith in her. She was going to be upfront. She needed to be. This wasn't some game they were playing. This was life and she was going to survive it because she was a survivor, and the sooner Emma came to terms on the hopeless magnitude of the situation the better.

"No. They do not."

"I thought you were better than that," Emma bared her teeth, striding closer to Regina. The brunette was tired of the blonde playing that card-the redemption card- every time she didn't get something she wanted from her.

"Do not play that card with me, Ms. Swan," Regina wagged her finger too close to the blonde's face, enough to irritate her more. "Becoming a better person does not mean I make stupid decisions because it would be the morally right thing to do, or what would be expected of me. Being redeemed means me making it up to the people, the people in this town, and you, that I have wronged. My penance does not extend to the town's line. And the threat out there is very real, Ms. Swan," Regina lowered her hand, instead drawing closer to stare into Emma's hardened green eyes. "It's not some story, not something magic can heal. The danger out there is very poignant and I do not need your brash actions to ruin everything that I have done for this town."

"Or done to it," Emma spits out maliciously and Regina fumes harder.

"Must you be so stubborn? I already promised you we would help the outside world once things calmed down. Is that not good enough for you?"

"I'm thinking now that may have been a false promise," Emma says coolly, like Regina is just another lying politician that Emma should know better than to trust, and thumbs tucked into the loops on her denim pants, she strides away. "Come on, Killian," she orders and the pirate shoots Regina a smug look before he follows Emma.

Frustrated by Emma's stubbornness, Regina jerks out her arm and her stray magic catches a trees and splits it in half.

* * *

It's a day later and Emma's sitting at Granny's staring glumly at her sandwich. Hook sits in front of her, sipping his mug of coffee which he spiked with a healthy dose of rum.

"You alright?" Ruby asks as she comes up, tapping her pen on her order pad thoughtlessly. "You haven't touched your grilled cheese."

Emma eyes the sandwich, feels disgusted by it, and shakes her head. "I'm not hungry." She can't be, when all she can hear is the screams of the dying kids, and the blood that is just  _everywhere_. Some savior she turned out to be. She couldn't save them. And she had almost lead her friends to their deaths as well.

Ruby shoots Hook a look and he shrugs. "She'll be fine. She just needs some time."

"What happened?"

Hook shakes his head. "Confidential. Sorry love." Regina had sworn them to secrecy. She didn't want people knowing what had happened outside the wall. Ruby looks on at Emma's pensive and drawn face and says, "I'll bring her some hot chocolate. On the house." Then she walks away.

Hook symptomatically slides his mug over to Emma. "Here. I think you need something a bit stronger."

Emma takes the offer and swallows down half of the spiked coffee before setting the mug down and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She's grateful that Hook isn't prying into her feelings, into explaining; he's simply giving her silent support, letting her know with his presence that he is here to comfort her if need arise.

"You know," he starts softly, after they have sat silently for a good five minutes, "I saw many similar things like that when I traveled for those two months after we had broken up. I even tried to save a few young lads and lasses myself, aye." Emma looks up at him and he drains the rest of his coffee. "But it never worked out. Me and my crew were no match for those vampires and we had to retreat so I could keep my crew safe. I know how you feel Emma. You wanted to save them as badly as I wanted to save those unfortunate that I had encountered on my trip. But life those not always work out that way. We'll just have to be better prepared next time." He shook his head sadly.

"You're willing to help me?" Emma is touched by his offer, yet worried by it. She does not want to put him in harm's way. The break up might have been bad, but only because it was Emma's fault- she was the one who ended things, the one who couldn't give him the love he wanted. He had only treated her the best way he knew how to and could. So she was happy to see he still treated her normally, that he carried no ill will towards her despite her warranting it. And now, he was even putting his neck on the line for her heroics.

"I may have failed in my earlier journeys, but we almost saved them yesterday, Emma. Which is closer than anything I could have ever done and it's because you were there. We actually killed the vampires. Next time, when we are more prepared, we will kill the vampires  _and_  save innocent lives." His eyes blaze with determination and with the upcoming luster of seeking vengeance on inhuman creatures. He might be good now, but he still loves a battle, still loves rushing into chaos he has manufactured, still loves playing the brooding bad boy though he is a marshmallow at heart.

Emma let a small smile grace her lips at Killian's words. But it hadn't been because of her that they had killed the vampires. It had been Regina and her knowledge of how to kill them that had saved them. Just as she was about to point this out, there was the telltale click clack of heels and Regina strode in. The sun had just begun to set and the dying light through the windows illuminated her hair and highlighted the facial expression of worry she wore.

"Making plans behind my back?" Her tone was only slightly accusatory and when Emma nor Killian said anything, she heaved out a sigh and slid into the seat by Emma who backed up to the far side. Regina pretended like that didn't hurt at all. "Look," she started, not sure how to say this. She knew what she had to say but she could never tell how Emma would take things. "I know you feel bad about failing those kids. I do too."

"No, you don't." Emma's response was sharp and brisk and it pricked at Regina's skin. Tempted to bite through and injure Regina's feelings deeply. Good thing the queen's skin was diamond tough and kept most offenses out.

Hook began to fidget in front of them, squinting his eyes at the bright light cutting in through his side of the booth. Why did the queen always have to ruin his alone time with Emma? And she was only aggravating Emma's depression even more! He was highly tempted to kick her out, and he would, if she kept acting pompously like this.

"Emma, I do." Regina countered with a heavy sigh. "They were young and they didn't deserve to die."

"But they did. And all because I failed them." Now Emma's anger at Regina was turning to self deprecation.

"Emma, no." Regina turned in her seat to grasp Emma's hands in hers, voice gentle, honest. "You didn't fail them. We all did. We all were unable to do anything to save them. So do not blame this on yourself."

Hmmm, so maybe Killian didn't have to kick Regina out just yet. But damn, was this light annoying him! It kept getting in his eyes and it was making him hot under his coat. He scooted to the end of his booth but could not escape the broad ray of light that annoyed him. Trust Regina to come and just in that moment for the sunlight to annoy Killian. Coincidence? Or magic spell low key enough to fall under Emma's radar but high key enough to frustrate him?

_I won't be giving in this easily,_ he vowed silently, intent on beating her at her own spell as he gave Regina a hard look. He wouldn't let her get under his skin so easily this round.

Emma looked on at her hands in Regina's grasp and pulled them away, too aware of how soft the mayor's hands were in her grasp. "And why do you care so much? I thought you didn't care about who or what that lays beyond the wall."

Regina sighed. Why was the blonde this difficult all the time? "Emma, I do care. I just have to pick and choose carefully what to care about. And I care about my town, about you, and Henry, because I know that if I tried to care about every single soul out there that is being ravaged by the infection, I would lose my mind and my strength and will to go on."

Emma's lips down-turned. "Oh boo hoo," she muttered. "You'll get stressed thinking about it all, while the people out there are living in a fucking apocalypse! Don't you think they might lose their mind over it? That their will to live is getting weaker and weaker each day?"

Regina grit her teeth. Why couldn't Emma just understand? Why did every conversation on this topic have to turn into an argument? Losing her patience she hissed, "you saw what happened when we tried to save those people, Emma. We failed and we almost got ourselves killed along the way. And we come from world's were we  _know_  how to fight. We're not unskilled, and still it wasn't enough."

Hook was playing with his collar now, flipping it up and down and trying to figure out the best position that would block the most light out. He was so into it, into beating Regina's little spell, he wasn't even paying attention to Regina's and Emma's heated voices. But Regina was getting annoyed by his constant fidgeting. It was making her own temper flare up more.

"Would you stop that!" she snapped at him and he jumped a little in his seat at her shout.

"The light is bothering me," he mumbled out like a little child that had gotten scolded, heart racing in shock at being so vocally called out upon.

"Maybe if you did not spend so much time hunkering down in that poor excuse of a ship all day long, you'd be able to stand the sun." She knew she was taking out her anger on the wrong person but she didn't care because it was only Hook.

He frowned at her but stopped his movements; he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of making him uncomfortable. Still, the urge to squirm was strong.

Ruby had finally made the coco, but seeing the type of conversation going on at Emma's table right now, she decided to slowly back up through the kitchen doors and come back later.

Emma clenched her jaw, her focus on Regina's words and not on Hook's childish behavior. "I know that. I know and I blame myself for letting the kids down and for letting you and Hook down. But I can't just do nothing." Emma sagged into her hands, raking fingers through messy curls. "If I do nothing...thousands of people are dying each day and I could do something to help them. I could use my magic and heal them. But if I do something, I can't do it alone, and I don't want to bring others into harm unnecessarily."

She let out a long shaky exhale. "Sometimes I really hate my own morals."

Regina sighed at Emma's confession, feeling her own anger disperse. "Emma, I already promised you I would help you once the humans found the root cause of this infection. Because then we will know what to target with our magic. Until then, we cannot even go out into the outside world to help because our magic does not work there." Regina paused, directed Emma's chin upwards with a delicate finger so she could confirm this with the blonde. "Okay?" she prompted and Emma didn't meet her gaze as she mulled something over.

"Okay," Emma said after a long pause, briefly meeting Regina's chocolate orbs before swiveling hers back down to her lap.

"Just focus on keeping this town safe; on keeping the residents from panicking. And I'll handle the rest. As soon as something comes up in the news, I will let you know and we will work on helping others." Regina squeezed Emma's upper arm. "So try not to be so down on yourself."

"Okay," Emma simply said again and Regina gave a lingering look, hoping that Emma would truly be fine, before she strode away to go pick up Henry from David. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter was more of a setting up the background one, but the following ones are going to more action based.
> 
> Updates should be every other Monday.


	3. Sick Like a Dog

_If you're sick like me there's no stopping now, -Sick, Adelitas Way_

* * *

Emma stood at the same spot that two days ago had been the scene of a battle between life and death. The scene of a battle she had lost. All that remained of it now was the decomposing corpses of three bodies. Hook stood silently by her side, flask in his hand and hook hooked around a shovel. Emma carried one too.

"We should bury them. It's the least we can do," her voice was soft but the ground was not. Her shoulders ached and her hands had blisters on them by the time they finished three shallow graves.

"Here's to the kids," Hook said, pouring a little of his rum into each of the adjacent graves. "And to the many others this curse has taken." A moment of silence, regret, and then they shoveled the dirt back onto them, placing a few rocks as placemarks. Weary and dirty, and in the case of Killian, stumbling slightly from drink, they crossed the barrier back to see an angry Regina waiting there for them, tapping an impatient finger on her crossed arms. This was what Emma had been hoping to avoid: getting caught by the mayor.

"Miss Swan. Jones," she grit between her teeth and Emma knew when the mayor used last names like insults, it was not going to be a good conversation. "Why did I call the sheriff's office only to find out the sheriff wasn't at her job?"

Tiredly, and halfheartedly for she knew she had 0.01% chance of succeeding, Emma tried to defend her way against the wave of anger threatening to be unleashed against her. "David was covering-"

"I don't care if he was covering. What were doing outside the barrier?! Do you really have a deathwish? No consideration for Henry? What if more vampires appeared? We could barely take them on the three of us and this time you only went with the handless wonder!"

Killian narrowed his eyes at the insult, but seeing as the world was blurry and his stomach thought it was a washing machine on the highest spin cycle, he said nothing, just dug his shovel into the dirt to have something to lean against for balance.

Emma picked up her hands in a placating motion. "Regina, nothing was going to happen. There weren't going to be any vampires."

"Yes, I forgot you are all knowing. That you can see the future!" Regina claimed sarcastically. She would be spitting fire if they weren't in a highly flammable area.

Killian would have liked to defend Emma verbally but the spin cycle in his stomach had stopped and now the liquids there were looking for a way to drain out. He kept his mouth shut tight and breathed heavily through his nose, hoping this conversation would be over soon so he could leave and feel bad in the comfort of his own room.

Emma sighed, drained by the mornings morbid events and not needing Regina sucking the last bit of life out of her. "Just relax, will you? I went to give the kids a proper funeral. I didn't want them to be disrespected. And it's helping me cope with my feelings. Somewhat." It had, a minuscule. It made her feel less guilty.

Regina opened her mouth to argue some more when Killian threw up all of a sudden, too close to the mayor's shoes for her liking. She grimaced at him. "Drunk at eight in the morning?"

"Must have been something disagreeing with me," Killian said, pulling out a napkin to wipe his mouth with. "Or perhaps the morbidity of what we just did, though I profess I had thought myself of harder constitution on such matters." He had thought Emma would be the one to get physically ill at such things but it seemed he was the one who was more weak stomached than initially believed.

Now that Emma looked at it, he did look pale faced and sweaty. She had just thought he looked that way because of the exertion of grave digging. Even Emma had been green faced at the bloated bodies, sightless eyes pecked out by birds and throats ripped wide open like some animal had done it.

The mayor waved her hand and the offending sight was cleared up. Too bad she couldn't do the same to Hook. "It wouldn't be the first time something has disagreed with you," Regina quipped back and Emma sighed, not wanting an argument to start up between Regina and Hook. Try how they might, the two were not at all sneaky with their dislike towards each other and Emma was just waiting for the day they slipped up around her so she could chew them out for behaving this cruelly.

"We'll be back on our way to the station. Don't worry about that anymore. I'll be back to doing my job, 'horribly' as you say."

"Wait, don't go just yet," Regina started and both Hook and Emma paused. "I wasn't talking about you, Jones. You can leave now, seeing as you've already offended my tastes enough today," she added nastily and Emma glared at that rude dismissal.

Hook gave a fake bow. "Of course. Perhaps next time I should aim better." He looked pointedly at her shoes and she narrowed her eyes at the threat. Then he was ambling off, flipping his collar up to keep the glare of the sun away for it was not helping his impending hangover.

"Talk," Emma rolled her shoulders back when Killian had finally gone, and Regina bristled at the blunt tone.

"I will not stand for insubordination from you, Ms. Swan, let me make that perfectly clear."

"I don't have time for long winded chats, Regina. Just get to the point. I have work to catch up on." Emma didn't want to get into another argument with Regina. She knew with Regina's truculent personality and Emma's obstinate viewpoints, such things were not avoidable. But she had been hoping that now as newly minted friends, they could have more pleasant conversations than unpleasant conversations.

Regina felt a vein in her neck throb. Not only had Emma disregarded her own safety and Regina's strict clarity on waiting to tackle the vampire apocalypse, now she was being insulting! "Are you calling me long winded-"

"Regina," Emma said warningly and with exasperation. "Please, just whatever you have to say, say it already."

Regina warred with her pride that told her not to give up easily, and with the softer part of her wanting to please Emma, finally deciding on the latter. "I could have gone with you. Why didn't you ask me?" She tried not to sound hurt but a tiny bit of it leaked through in her tone. If trouble had come, she would feel better knowing she could offer Emma better protection.

"Because I didn't think you would care enough. And I didn't want you looking at such...things. Didn't want to ruin your senses." Emma just didn't feel comfortable with bringing Regina alone because she knew her friend would have said no from the start, and Emma had needed to do this. No one else would have treated those kids bodies respectfully. She couldn't leave them uncared for; it was the least she could do after she had failed them.

"Emma." Regina had seen more dead bodies than Emma could ever dream of. Regina was sure she could have handled it. She could handle anything.

Emma merely shrugged at the reproach in Regina's tone.

"Just...tell me where you are next time. I want you to be safe," Regina left it at that, knowing more wouldn't be breached in this conversation, and poofed away back to her office, hurt that Emma hadn't wanted her there to support her but that Hook could.

* * *

It was a week later and still Emma couldn't get the incident out of her mind. It haunted her in her dreams, made her sad during the day, and guilted her when she was able to enjoy the simple perks of being alive. They could never eat a bear claw again, they could never drink coffee in the mornings, or brush their teeth. Silly little things like that, but it all got to her and she scolded herself for she knew it was pointless to dwell on it any longer.

She forced those thoughts aside by working out more at the gym, going on long runs, on filling out paperwork that did not need to be filled out. She would use Henry as a distraction, going to fun places with him, but she knew that he knew something was bothering her yet she'd never answer fully when he asked.

"It's just something between me and your mom."

"Are you and mom fighting again?" he asked mid lick on his ice cream cone.

"It's not a fight...just, something sad happened and she's helping me get over it, though we both have such big differences in opinions on it and how to deal with it."

That answer was not nearly anywhere as satisfying at it should be for Henry's curiosity. "Is this about the apocalypse?"

Her head snapped to him too quickly to be nonchalant. He narrowed his eyes. So, it was something to do with that. Hmm.

"It's.." she licked her lips to think of how to say this but she reconsidered. It was no good to lie to Henry. "Yes. I'm worried about that. I'm worried about the people out there, and for your safety and for this town and what will happen to the future of this world-"

Henry placed a hand on his mother's to stop her rambling. Her hands were shaking and Emma hadn't even noticed. "It'll be fine Ma. I know it will be. You can't do anything about what's happening outside. So don't do something stupid, okay?"

Now Emma's eyes narrowed at her son. "Did Regina put you up this?" He was normally all for saving people who were in trouble. He thought Emma was invincible and could take anything on. And now he had no belief in her?

Henry tilted his head. "Put me up to what?" he was confused.

Emma studied his face for a while and then sighed once she'd decided he was innocent of Regina's influences. "Nothing. Just...nothing." Oh boy, he sure was Regina's son. Emma did not do, 'stupid things', okay. At least, not all the time.

"Don't stress Ma. Things will be fine. Mom and you can protect this town. The apocalypse won't be able to touch us."

"But don't you care about the people out there?" Emma was a bit taken aback by her son's close mindedness about this situation. Usually he was so open minded that sometimes Emma believed he was an old man trapped in a young boy's body.

Henry shrugged. "I'm ten. And there are vampires out there that are really scary."

"More scary than dragons and evil witches and magic apples that can kill with one bite?" Emma raised a brow. Henry had no issue with storybook characters but vampires were apparently not okay. His reluctance on this issue made her hesitant on her whole plan to solve the vampire crisis.

He nodded his head, giving a solemn lick of his ice cream. "Those are real Emma. And real world problems are always scary."

Emma couldn't disagree with that. She ruffled up his hair because she didn't know what else to say.

* * *

Emma doesn't feel much up for drinks, but she's promised to go with Hook sometime for their reunion and maybe copious amounts of alcohol are what she needs now to pick her mood up. Especially with how bad Henry made her feel for recklessly throwing herself out there towards the vampires. He was right, this wasn't a crisis born of some magic and fairytale nature. Emma was used to those, to being able to snap her fingers, or throw a sword and be done, villain of the week successfully vanquished. This apocalypse was something different and it was potentially more dangerous than anything else she had faced, and she had been unaware of the exact magnitude of dangers she had been throwing herself into.

Emma had Henry to think of. The safety of the town to think of.

Regina had been right at chastising Emma, but Emma wasn't going to admit to that. It was like admitting to being wrong, to giving up on her dream to help those people and Emma would never stop wanting to help them. She just...perhaps needed to take a step back, a moment to consider her options and the gravity of what was occurring. Her nature was to run into things, but that wasn't a good tactic when the things she was running to, could outrun her.

So, drinks...it would give her time to relax, to get her mind off of things. And it would give her a chance to see Killian again. Their goodbyes had been painful right before he had left to sea, and she was hoping that the damage wasn't irreparable, that they could still salvage a friendship out of all this. He seemed content with her, not as hurt as he had been when she'd revealed her true emotions to him.

She could never forgot the fallen look on his face, the way his jaw swung open, the way his shoulders slumped defeated as she told him she didn't love him like he loved her. He hadn't said anything, just walked away and departed with his crew the next day to sea. She'd felt like shit for doing that, and Regina had comforted her afterwards, telling her it was okay, that she didn't own anything to Killian.

Now the two months were over and Killian didn't look hurt anymore. He smiled like usual at Emma and this gave her hope that she hadn't lost him entirely.

They meet at the Rabbit Hole and Killian's already seated at the bar stool saving a spot for her. It's only after four, which means Happy Hour and not a lot of folks to bother them. Upon her entrance he raises his glass in greeting and she slides right next to him, raising a hand to flag down the bartender for her own drink order. It comes back a mere moment later, giving her enough time to settle down into her seat and take in the vibe of this place. It's been a while since she's been here.

A lot of Storybrooke folks have been coming here to drown out their worries about the apocalypse raging on their doorstep and Emma is surprisingly not one of them. She prefers a more private space to beat down her worries; she doesn't like to appear weak in front of an audience.

"So, I'd ask about your travels but from the news I already know it was no trip to paradise," Emma starts, sipping down her rum and coke and enjoying the combination of fizzing burn.

"And I'd ask how was staying in Storybrooke but I already know how Regina is," he responds and takes a hearty gulp of his drink. His hand shakes on the glass and Emma notes it with a frown. "Are you okay? How many drinks have you had?"

"Recently? Only one," he admits, knowing the low count will inspire questions in his friend.

"Cutting back on the liqueur?" she asks. Killian loves his drink; what could be the possible reason of his to enjoy less of it?

"I drank a lot at sea," he fiddles with his glass, words coming out slow. "Trying to get over you, and lets say at some point the drink tastes too much like tears and bad memories to want to be drunk in moments of revelry." It's not an exact truth but he does want her to feel a bit bad about the break up. He deserves to get his kicks in when it was she who broke his heart. He thought he was over her, but he still wasn't. And while his heart cheered every time it saw her, his gut twisted in painful recollection of her pushing him away.

_"I don't love you the way you love me."_

Words cutting and cruel. He tried to shake his thoughts away from that. He didn't want to be mean to Emma. It wasn't her fault that she didn't feel for him that way. Only his for pushing her so hard to do so.

Emma looked away shamefully into her drink.

"Sorry, shouldn't have said that," he mumbled, a twinge of ignominy flaring to life in him. "That's not the entire reason I'm not drinking so much. I did miss you, still do...but I'm just not feeling too well is all." He was slightly ashamed of not being as forward with the true state of his being as he could be. To reverting to trying to hurt Emma for his own unwell nature, for trying to make her hurt for their break up even though falling out of love was not controllable, not repairable.

"Nah, it's okay," she looked up from her drink. They drink in silence for a couple of moments before Emma asks, "how bad is it out there?"

"Terrible," is his honest answer. "The oceans aren't bad. You get onto them, get deep enough out to the blue and you're safe. But on land," he shakes his head, takes a sip. He feels more ill just speaking on this and the drink stands in his throat but he forces it down. His eyes glaze over as he goes into a not too distant memory. "We landed off of the coast of Virginia in Chesapeake Bay. Everything there was abandoned, a true ghost town. There weren't even any bodies and any helpful goods we might need were already plundered from the stores. We didn't even get far in town to replenish our supplies before we spotted them, a crowd of about twenty. It was a good thing we had our guns with us."

He visualizes them, dark red glowing eyes peering out from behind trees and cars and stores, saliva dripping from their mouths at the scent of fresh blood. Hook's hair on the back of his neck had risen and his command to run had risen not mere seconds after. He had never ran so fast in his life as he had that day.

"We ran, keeping them at bay with our weapons, but gradually they were catching up, growing more bold and unafraid of our fire arms. So when we got closer to the boat, I ordered Smee to fire the cannons. That wiped a good chunk of them out of the picture and allowed us to board again."

Hook could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, heard the loud blasting of the cannons, the acrid tang of smoke and the cold spray of the water as they raced for the boat. The vampires stalled at the edge of the water, hissing at the lapping waves but not coming closer. Hook didn't know why they stopped but he didn't ponder it as he and his crew got away.

It had been hell sailing around with no supplies around but they couldn't dock anywhere easily. And until they had enough rations they couldn't head back home.

Emma shivered at the way Hook told the story. She could just imagine being chased down by a horde of hungry vampires, hot on her heels, fingers almost managing to touch her back. "I'm glad you got out of there alive."

"So am I," he chuckled before his stomach twisted up in pain and he was forced to bend over with a loud groan.

"Hook, are you alright?" Emma's hand was warm on his back and everything was too noisy. It was hurting his head.

"I'm sorry, love," he managed to get out. "It seems I am too unwell to continue our little evening together." Sweat was beading down his neck as his stomach roared in anger at having to consume those beverages.

"Come on, I'll get you home." She was already slinging his arm around her shoulders.

"I can get home on my own-"

"Not like this, you aren't," and she set her jaw, unwilling to hear otherwise. Stumbling both, they made it out of the bar and to his ship.

* * *

Regina picked up the phone with the intention to call Emma. After Henry had told her the blonde was still down about the incident, Regina decided what the sheriff needed was a nice warm meal to cheer her up; food always worked wonders on the voracious sheriff. The blonde answered on the last ring.

"Hello?" Emma said a bit distractedly. There was a loud clatter as something fell to the ground. "No, stay put. You're sick," she said to someone else. There was the murmur of an answer.

"Who are you talking to?" Regina asked, because she was never good with having information withheld from her.

"Uh, oh, it's just Hook."

Of course Emma was with Hook. Regina's lips tightened. "Well I do hope you won't be too busy with Hook because I'd like to invite you to dinner with me and Henry tonight."

"Tonight? Shit." There was the sound of Emma sucking her teeth. "I really want to but Hook is sick. Like  _really_  sick."

"Sick?" Regina wasn't surprised. "What with living on that filthy deathtrap of a ship and drinking nothing but rum, I'm not surprised."

There was another loud noise as something else fell over and then the distinct sound of retching. "Damn it Hook!" Emma cursed out a couple of choice words. "Do it in the trash next time, and not my shoes!"

Regina's lips curled up in distaste. "How badly ill is he? Do you think you'll be able to make it over? Henry's very worried about you." _And so am I, Emma._  But she didn't say that out loud.

"Uh, I don't know. I think he's got like the flu or something. He's shaking all over and pale and he can't seem to eat anything."

"Flu? In the middle of summer?" Regina arches a disbelieving brow.

"Dunno, he must have caught it on his trip or something. He refuses to leave to see Dr. Whale."

Suddenly Regina's heart clenches in fear; in suspicion as something clicks in her head. She says woodenly, "yes, he must have caught it on his trip indeed. I'll be over to help." And she clicks the phone off before Emma can protest.

Emma looks at it, confused by the suddenness of the call ending and then Regina is there in a cloud of purple smoke, standing in Hook's dark cabin. His sheets are a tangle and he's shirtless and on his knees cleaning up the mess he's made.

"Regina-"

But Regina is pulling Emma roughly behind her back. "Stay away," she hisses and Emma is confused.

"He's sick, he's not dangerous-"

"On the contrary he is," Regina says and Hook looks up at her. It's dark in the cabin but Regina can make out the dark circles under his eyes and the way he eyes her neck with too much interest. "Why, the Evil Queen herself in my humble cabin?" He gets up so he may bow mockingly but she flicks her wrist.

"Don't." And the curtains over his window rip open. Immediately a scream leaves from his lips and he throws himself against the wall where there is shade. Where the smoldering of his skin can stop. He huddles there, hands over his head, wailing in agony.

Emma's eyes open wide and her jaw drops open and Regina only nods her head in confirmation. She had thought as much, but she's not happy about it. There's infected in Storybrooke. And Hook is patient zero. She intends to make him the first and last one.

"What's-what's going on- what's happening to me?!" Hook cries out. He doesn't understand anything and it scares him.

"You're becoming a vampire, Hook," Regina says and she's cool as she eyes him despite how many internal red flags this is raising in her. She won't have him threatening the safety of her haven, of her son, and of Emma!

"You're coming with us." With a flick of her wrist the trio is gone.

* * *

"Is this really necessary?" Emma asks, unhappy that Regina has orchestrated placing Hook in a quarantine room in the hospital. Whale stands by them, adjusting his shirt collar nervously while his eyes glow in unhealthy interest at this new subject.

"It is," Regina stays steely, watching as Hook paces in the stark white room, empty save for a bed and sink and toilet. The man is not happy and he's screaming but his words are indecipherable through the thick glass. "He's infected, and I won't have him spreading this to other people. This is the safest option until we can figure out what's wrong and how to fix it." She gives a wry smile, her eyes never leaving Hook, wondering how close he is to completely being overcome by the virus. "Congratulations Ms. Swan. You have finally got your wish. Now we have no choice but to solve the infection."

Emma's face pales. "I didn't...I didn't wish for this." She lets out a groan. "Oh god, what if this is my fault? Did...did he get sick because of me?" She's thinking of her little escapade a week back, when they had gone out to try to help those humans.

Regina immediately feels bad for her earlier comment. She tries to soothe. "No, it's not your fault Emma. The incubation period lasts longer than a week. So it couldn't have been you. It must have been during his travels that he caught it." Damn it, she knew she should have banned him from coming back, but her mind had been preoccupied with other matters.

Emma only felt marginally better at Regina's words. As she watched Hook rip the mattress off in uncontrollable rage-another thing that those who were infected suffered from apparently- she felt pained on his behalf. He was a good friend of hers. She didn't want to see him in pain, and locking him up like this, made it seem like they were treating him like some sort of animal. Yet, she knew it was for the best. She'd seen what those two vampires had done. They had looked human but give them the scent of blood and they were monsters, ripping veins open indiscriminately with razor sharp teeth.

She didn't want to see Hook hurting others. Didn't want him to become a monster like that.

"We need to find a cure," she whispered out, adamant to amend things, and Regina nodded her head.

"That is a given. Now, Dr. Whale, you are to keep him here under surveillance at all times. Do not do anything without verifying it with me first. Am I clear?"

The doctor nodded his head. Everyone knew of his proclivities to experimenting with human bodies if not forbidden from doing so, and they did not want him messing with Hook who was now an unknown variable.

The doctor strode away, dismissed, leaving the two women together.

Truthfully, Regina didn't even know where to start. She didn't care for the pirate at all-she thought this served him right for all he had done to her in the past- but Emma cared for him, and she didn't want Emma to be sad. She'd probably have to start looking for actual cures soon. Maybe there had been something in the human news she had missed?

Hook was now calming down from his tantrum, having sufficiently trashed his room enough. Pillows were gutted, the mattress shredded to bits, and the sink leaking from how he had broken it. Now he was approaching the glass separating them. He couldn't see them on the other side, yet he still pounded his fists onto the glass and pressed his face flat against it, his breath misting it. He mouthed the words 'let me out' over and over.

"Do you think...we can talk to him?" Emma was hesitant to voice this, but loathe to think he was utterly inhuman now. There had to be a way to reach him.

"I think he should be calm enough for reason now." From what Regina had read, these rages came and went in the early stages so she had to get some information out of him before he reverted back to screaming and hissing. Not everyone suffered from them, but she shouldn't have been surprised he was. He had never been good with containing his fury.

She pressed a button on the side of the glass, opening a two way connection through speaker. "Hook, we need to ask you some questions."

His face contorted in fury upon recognition of her voice. "Regina! Let me out of here!"

"I'm afraid I cannot. You pose a danger to the community now. Just take a look at your room."

He turned his head and with a crease in his brow noted the state it was in. "I...I did that?"

Hmmm, so memory loss was also a part of this process. She'd make sure to note that down. "Yes, you did. And there's no telling what else you can do. So for now, you will be kept here until we can find a way to cure you."

"I got infected?" He was in disbelief. "But how?" He hadn't been bitten. Being bitten was how one got sick, right?

"That's what we're hoping to find out."

"We?" He swallowed. "Is Emma...is she okay? I didn't hurt her, did I?" He couldn't recall much, he just knew Emma and him had been together throughout the day at some point and now they were not. Had he hurt her?

"No, you didn't," Emma assured.

"Emma!" Hook was overjoyed to hear her voice. "Emma, love, if I did-"

"Hook, focus!" Regina hissed. She didn't know how much more time they had until he spazzed out again. There was no time for his lovey dovey sentiments. She needed answers! "Tell me, did you ever get bitten by a vampire? Think, how could you have gotten sick?"

Hook closed his eyes and ruminated on this. His long silence itched under her skin. "I know it must be extremely strenuous for those last three brain cells you haven't killed off yet to think, but I do need you to try, dear."

"Regina!" Emma reprimanded. "Why must you-"

His eyes snapped open, finality in his gaze. "No."

"No what?" Regina queried.

"No, I did not get bitten by any vampires, or even so much as get scratched by them. After one or two incidents, me and the crew stayed far away and booked it home."

"Are you sure? You might have been too drunk to even be aware of it." She was skeptical of his sword ability and even more so with his memories.

"I wasn't," Hook said. "I'm being earnest now."

As much as Regina wished he was lying, Emma nodded her head next to her, confirming that he wasn't. Regina swallowed hard, fear pricking at her skin. He was slowly confirming her current theory about the virus. But to be sure...

"Hook, while back in Storybrooke, have you interacted with anyone?"

"Well, with Emma mainly. And you, your majesty, though it was sparingly."

"No one else?"

He closed his eyes once more in thought. "Only in passing. Such as Granny. Or some of the crew. But other than that it's only been me on the ship. Or me with Emma."

Regina felt her stomach churn in worry. Emma noticed her pale face and touched the back of her hand. "Hey, are you okay?"

Regina shook her head, voice slightly wavering as she spoke. "Emma, I think this infection must be airborne."

"And?" Emma's voice faltered as she began to piece together some of what Regina must have meant. Regina switched off the connection so Hook wouldn't overhear this.

Regina took in a deep breath, let it out. Took in another. Tried to remember if breathing was ever this difficult before. Prepared herself. "And...I think you need to go to quarantine too."

Emma felt her heart plummet to her stomach. Her voice croaked as she spoke. "You think...I'm infected?"

"It's a possibility..." a possibility Regina dreaded, but one she had to account for. "If it's airborne, and you've been spending a lot of time with Hook..." Regina knew the rest of town would be fine- the magical barrier could even prevent unwanted air currents from coming in. She would of course go back to ensure that it would be a 100% filter so no other bad air could be inhaled, as soon as this talk was over. "And the crew. I'll have to put them on lock down too. Just in case." They had been out in the world. There was no telling if they were sick as well. And then there would be the interrogation of who they also interacted with and hunting those people down and...it would be a lot of work. Her head was already hurting from thinking about this.

Emma nodded her head solemnly even as her stomach rioted. "How long?"

"Two weeks. That is when the symptoms become obvious."

"And what about work? About Henry?" She wouldn't be able to come to work. And what would she tell Henry and her parents?

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of all of it." Regina tried to give Emma a warm smile but it died on her lips. If Emma was infected...she didn't know how she'd deal with this. Emma was the closest thing she had to a friend. The thought of losing her brought a sharp sting to her eyes, made her feel like hitting the wall and crying out that the world wasn't fair, that it was yet again going to take someone close from her. But she kept her face neutral, tried to be strong for Emma. "And I promise, I will stop at nothing to find a cure for you." This came out sounding like a fierce promise, one she was desperate to upkeep no matter the costs.

"Okay," Emma's voice was weak and she tried to plaster on a brave smile though she was failing. Regina sounded serious, sounded absolutely murderous; if one could even kill a virus than her voice alone could do it. Emma balled up her hands to keep them steady and nodded her head, unable to look at Regina anymore. Did the mayor think her a monster? A walking liability? What would happen to her now?

"Let me just get some things, and I'll move in next door to Hook."

* * *

Regina hated seeing Emma on the other side of the glass, but what else was there to do? She had a town to protect. She couldn't risk the safety of it just because of her friendship with the blonde. But her guilt wouldn't subside, even when she went out of her way to visit Emma each day to bring her her favorite dishes and to inform her on how the town was fairing.

"How's mom and dad?"

"Surviving. David's been able to cover for you at the station quite well."

"And Henry?"

"Doing well in school too. Though he is getting suspicious of our contrived excuse." Regina and Emma had come up with the lie that Emma had gone deep under cover for an investigation.

Regina had used that lie on everyone else too, and was met with an equal amount of suspicions and acceptance. Some suspected she had done something to the savior, which was absurd! They were friends now.

"And Hook's crew?"

"None of them have transformed."

All very rote questions, this asking and answering of inquiries upon meeting a procedure meant to delay the inevitable principal reason for the visit.

Emma took the info into consideration, finishing up the last bite of Regina's lasagna. It was good news to hear so far the crew was clear, but they why had it only been Hook then? Why did he deserve catching the virus?

"I can't believe it's already been a week in here. I'm so bored!" Emma flopped down onto her mattress, discarding her empty food tray. Regina had slid it through a small special slot for just this reason.

"Are the books not enough?" Regina had left some with Emma each time. She could bring more- she'd be glad to bring more.

"No, it's not that. It's just...I'm going stir crazy. Being stuck in the same place for so long. These white walls are beginning to hurt my eyes." And make her skin itch. Was it possible to be allergic to the color white?

There was silence, filled only by the buzzing of fluorescent lights. Regina took the time to gather up her courage, same as she did every time she visited. Emma knew to expect this so she waited patiently. "Have you felt any symptoms so far?" finally fell out of Regina's mouth, and it felt like a death sentence, like each time she would say this would be the last because Emma would show symptoms, would end up turning and Regina had to try hard not to choke on the fears crowding her throat and taking hostage of her tongue.

The time between Regina's question and Emma's answer hung in the air, volatile, full of either corrosive promise or uplifting resolution.

"No."

At Emma's words Regina thought her knees would collapse with relief but all she did was grab the wall next to her and clear her throat. Doing this each day was torture for her- this not knowing, this clock ticking down over their heads, this seeing Emma boxed in like some sort of mental patient. She hated it. It hurt with an intensity she hadn't felt in a long time, ever since Daniel's demise.

Regina supposed she ought to be happy Emma was fine, but it was hard to when 'fine' could turn into 'not okay' the very next day. And they went through this everyday, a whole list of symptoms and still there was nothing. Regina kept expecting them to pop up, waiting for her to settle into normalcy, into thinking Emma was okay, and then rearing their head in a cruel joke at the last moment.

"Should I?" Emma poised and there was the smallest hint of doubt there. She had seen too many movies about these sorts of things, but with zombies. The person was bit, thought they were okay, went on with their life, and then bam everything spiraled down quickly from there.

"It is still a bit early." And maybe a bit too early to hope that Emma would be fine. The second week had just started and this was when things truly became revealed.

A thoughtful hum from Emma as she contemplated her own state before turning to another. "And how's Hook?"

"He's fully turned into a vampire now."

A dark look passed Emma's face. "Shit."

Shit was right, though Regina would never use that word. The man still looked the same with the exception of paler skin and an appetite for blood. Whale was currently trying to figure out if they should feed the man or not. And if so, how? The man looked hungry, eyes wild with it. There was no doubt he would murder them the second he was let loose.

"We have no choice but to keep him here."

"And how's the progress on the cure going?" A hopeful question, but a fruitless one.

Regina shook her head despite Emma not being able to see it because of the barrier. "Nothing useful. The humans haven't found a cure for it yet. They too think it's airborne and simply say to avoid being in close proximity with those who are infected."

"Well, that's just great," Emma said sarcastically. She wouldn't lie, she had been hoping to hear a better answer than this. Having a sort of countdown hanging over her was no fun. Any moment she could start turning and she was hyper wired for any signs of symptoms. She constantly checked but so far it had been all smooth sailing. Except for her anxiety. It had skyrocketed ten times higher than her normal levels and it was tearing her apart, keeping her up at night sometimes. Or that could be because of the white. Why was there so much damn white in this room?

Regina hesitated before speaking next, because she knew her words could rile Emma up. But she needed to say it because it was something she and the doctor had considered. "I think we need to carry out our own experiments."

"What?" Emma jerked up from her bed. Suspicion painted her features. "Did Whale put you up to this?"

Regina shook her head. "No, he didn't. But, we need to find answers and we have a full vampire on our hands and-" her hasty rush to explain was cut off by one very indignant blonde.

"Don't you dare finish that thought!" Emma jumped off the bed now and glared angrily at the mirror, feeling a bit silly for arguing with her own reflection despite knowing Regina was behind it. "You will not be experimenting on Hook! It's inhuman!"

" _He's_  inhuman!" Regina flared out her hands. Then in a softer voice, pleading. "Emma, I know it's not right, but he might be our only chance at-"

"No!"

Regina let her anger come back full force. "You would endanger the whole world over him? If he holds the answer to this conundrum in his body than we deserve to go in and find it!" Was Emma really willing to sacrifice so many for one?

"I won't let you cut him up to pieces. Or anyone else for that matter! That's not how we do things."

"Than how, Emma? Tell me, how are we going to do things? Am I just expected to let you all live here, trapped behind glass like animals for the rest of your lives?"

That sobered up Emma quickly; thinking of herself stuck here, wanting to escape, to be normal, but not able to. She would never get to see Henry again. She almost wanted to say,  _sure, go ahead_ , but she didn't. Just because she didn't want to be stuck here, didn't mean others were sacrificed. She was the savior. She sacrificed for others.

She licked her dry lips, having drawn to a rather last ditch conclusion. "You can...you can experiment on me when the time comes."

Regina was taken aback. The thought of so much as harming Emma in that manner made her stomach queasy. Made her feel dirty. Her voice was aghast as she spoke. "Emma I couldn't-"

"If it's for the safety of others, than do it. I don't care." She curled up her fist, tried to stop it from shaking, curled up her body, tried to stop the unease running through it. She wanted to look unaffected, tough. Like this was whatever and not some big life altering deal.

"But  _I_  care!" burst out of Regina's lips before she could censor herself. She was breathing hard. "I won't let the mother of my son,  _our_  son, offer herself up as some sort of lamb to the slaughter!"

"I'm the savior. I've always been the lamb to the slaughter; it's in my job description. I've just been able to avoid the slaughterhouse until now. So, when the time comes, do it. I'd rather it be me than anyone else." Emma said this woodenly with a shrug, no trace of emotion on her face. It was like she was trying to make herself seem less human so that the experiment wouldn't be morally wrong.

That wasn't right.

How could Emma think of herself this way? "Of all the stupid," Regina stopped herself there, pressing a hand to her suddenly tender stomach. She needed to leave. She cut off the connection rapidly and poofed herself home.

"Regina? Regina?" But there was no answer and Emma was left in the oppressive silence by herself once more.

Regina barely made it home and to the bathroom before she threw up. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to rid herself of the sick feeling that Emma's words had invoked her in.

"Stupid Swan," she groaned out, hanging her head on the rim.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Love writing snippy dialogue between Hook and Regina. I don't hate him, but it's fun to pretend to do so.


	4. Can't Get You off my Mind

* * *

_Well I'm not a vampire_   
_But I feel like one/My hands are always shaking_   
_Body's always aching/For goodness sake_   
_Where is my self control?_

_I'm Not a Vampire- Falling in Reverse_

* * *

 

Emma's words must have had a worse impact on Regina than the brunette initially thought because she was a certifiable mess. If she wasn't a mess before with all the worry about a possible infection breaking out in her town, and with Emma becoming a vampire, now she certainly was. Her dreams were filled with indistinct screams, dark shadows chasing her, needles and blood and Emma's pale form lying on an operating table. "Cut me open," she'd say and a hand would rip right through her abdomen, bloody and oozing. Regina would wake up covered in sweat and body aching all over like she had spent the night running, phantom pains making her grimace as they stabbed up and down her body.

Henry had come in on more than one occasion, worried for her. "Are you okay?" he'd ask, a glass of water in his hand because this wasn't the first or last time for this to happen. "I heard you screaming." Again went the unspoken word and Regina knew Henry wanted answers but she couldn't tell him anything, not until his other mother was cleared and especially not that these dreams were her fault.

"It's okay. I'm fine." But Regina felt feverish and the water was cool on her throat. She felt parched but no matter how much water she drank it would never be enough.

"I heard you scream out Emma's name." Henry hadn't left, hands clutching the edge of his shirt in worry. "Is she in trouble? I haven't heard from her for so long."

"She's fine Henry. She's just doing her job. Even I don't know where she is." Regina gave a watery smile before she drew her son closer to her and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Is that why Hook is gone too?"

"Henry..." Regina sighed, about to reiterate her point that she didn't know what he was doing when Henry cut her off. "And don't say you don't know because you know everything going on in this town."

Regina swallowed guiltily but still offered the same words. "I don't know Henry. But Emma will be back soon."

At least Regina hoped she would be. She got up and ushered Henry back to bed. "Thank you for the glass of water. Now, go to sleep." He allowed her to tuck him in and she went back to her room, hoping that it truly wouldn't be long before Emma could come back. Why had the blonde even felt the need to hang out with Hook? If she hadn't than all this could have been avoided!

Snarling in sudden rage she hurled the glass on the counter across the room and watched in satisfaction as it shattered. That stupid pirate was the cause for all of this! She had half a mind to go to his room and shake some sense into him, maybe slap him across the face for daring to be around Emma with his stupid diseased body. But she forced herself to take deep shuddering breaths. Violence would do no good. Instead, she should be getting some sleep. She had a long day ahead of her.

She returned back to her bed only to see that the covers were drenched in her sweat and that there were some tears where she had snagged her hands and pulled hard while in her agitated dream state. Well, she couldn't sleep in that anymore. She gathered the sheets up and tossed them out, replacing them with new sheets.

But when she laid down on clean linen, she found that she couldn't sleep. Her stomach churned in worry and her nightmares haunted behind her closed lids. She got back up and poured herself a glass of cider before logging into her computer and reading some news articles about the ongoing apocalypse. They spouted the same old stuff- in keeping indoors, in having a stock of weapons, in the army making leeway in combating the vampires. But nothing about a cure.

Utterly frustrating.

She knew if she allowed Whale to carry out his experiments he'd be able to find out some answers. But Emma had forbidden Hook from being a participant, offering herself up instead and Regina would faster kiss Hook than let that happen. Just the thought of Whale hovering over Emma with that leering look on his face made Regina sick. She was forced to rush to the bathroom as the cider she just drank came up.

God damn it. She really was a mess.

Flushing the toilet she got up and washed her sweaty face in the mirror. She had to get it together. In three more days, Emma would be cleared from the room and hopefully everything would be fine. Hopefully, the savior wouldn't have to be a human sacrifice.

Hopefully.

 

 

Emma tossed a ball up and down, back on the floor, eyes being burned to a crisp by the bright fluorescent lights. She was soooooooooo bored. There was nothing here for her to do. She'd read all the books, played all the games, even decided to do a bit of a work out. And she'd slept a lot. But that too got boring. So now she was just lying here and thinking but not really thinking at the same time.

Her thoughts floated in and out of her head like a summer breeze.

Wonder what's for dinner today. Hope Regina's brought her tacos. They're delicious. It was kinda weird she didn't stop by today for lunch. She usually delivers it herself but she had Whale do it this time. Maybe she's busy? Maybe she's found a cure?...Nah, that can't be the case or else she'd be rushing over here. I wonder if Henry has found out about why I'm missing. He always was too smart for his own good sometimes. Damn, how much time has passed? Only three fucking minutes?! I think I'm going to go crazy!

Is Hook crazy now? Technically, he's lost his mind to the infection. Does he remember me? How does the infection thing even work?

Emma rolled onto her stomach now, getting bored of the ball tossing, squeezing it instead.

He might have super powers. Regina told me they all have super powers. Does this mean they're like super fast and strong? Are they super hot as well? I know in Twilight they got like super mega hot. What if Regina was a vampire? Emma's brain let out a low whistle. Shit, she's already like super mega hot, so would that make her super mega ultra smexy hot? Or is she just super mega hot squared?

Emma tried to come up with a way Regina could get even sexier but her brain failed, overloading on hotness factor.

It was no secret to Emma that she liked Regina. She'd have to be blind not to appreciate a body like that, and given all they had been through it only made sense for Emma to fall for her friend. It had been one of the reasons for breaking it off with Hook though Emma didn't tell that to either Hook or Regina. Emma didn't feel right leading the pirate on when she didn't feel he was her true love and she had feelings for someone else. And neither did she feel right telling Regina about the true depth of her feelings for her. She was...afraid to ruin things. It had been hard enough being friends and to lose all that...not something Emma had wanted.

Hook hadn't taken the break up kindly because he had given up so much for her, but when she explained that she didn't want to be bought over by him, he seemed to understand a bit more. Then she told him she was fine with them being friends and that was when he had decided to sail the oceans to get over his heartbreak so he could come back and be a good friend for her.

Guilt suddenly hit her.

Was it her fault that Hook was now infected? He had left Storybrooke because they had broken up and gotten infected in the outside world.

Emma closed her eyes. Damn it. This was all so fucked up. She sighed and really hoped Regina would come and give her dinner soon because it would give her something to do other than let her thoughts run her ragged.

 

 

As the countdown for Emma's release neared, Regina found herself more and more overcome with nerves. She couldn't even stand to come see the sheriff, having Whale report to her and deliver the food and some new toys for Emma to keep occupied with.

The mayor's stomach was a myriad of nerves, unable to stomach anything. She could no longer keep anything down and her hands shook beyond her control. It took all her effort to come off as normal during her work hours and in front of Henry. She knew Emma was almost in the clear, so she didn't know why her body was behaving this way.

Why did she care so much?

Henry. It was for Henry's sake that she cared if Emma was fine.

She needed to stop being such a coward and go pick up the blonde from the quarantine. Her, and the rest of Hook's crew. They too had remained symptom-less. That gave her hope that this infection would start and end with Hook. If it was only one man than there was less pressure to find a cure.

The night before Emma's discharge, Regina couldn't sleep at all. Each time she tried to, her dreams were plagued by sharp gleaming teeth, and the screams of suffering people who she couldn't see. The same dreams played over and over again, giving her no relief from them. It was enough to drive her mad. Seeing that sleep was not an option, she took to reading some books to keep her mind occupied with more soothing thoughts.

She was tired by the time day break arose but she still didn't risk going to bed. If she was tired enough by the end of today than maybe she would be able to sleep tonight without waking up sweaty and terrified. She got dressed for the day, made Henry his breakfast before kissing him off to school, and then went to work, trying to keep her mind off of Emma and Hook.

Hook was a complete vampire now, and she had to find a better place to keep him. The quarantine room was not going to be a safe option anymore, especially since there was a risk he could break out and hurt people in the hospital. Maybe the police station? Though she dreaded to think of Emma having to come in each day and see her former lover there. She'd have to talk about it later with Emma, right now she had to finish this paperwork.

Still, her thoughts were scattered and she barely managed to wrap up all her work before she left to go pick up Emma from the hospital. Her eyes burned in the bright light of the day as she walked the short distance to her car, and she cursed her lack of sleep. Now when she needed sleep the most, to keep a steady and sharp mind, she couldn't get any. She might have to brew up a sleeping draught for herself later.

The drive over she clutched the steering wheel harder than necessary, hesitating when she got out the car. Fear coiled in her stomach. It was ridiculous, she knew, because Emma had displayed no signs of vampirism and there was no reason to believe she would just suddenly erupt into one.

Get it together, Regina hissed at herself. She used to be a goddamn queen. She needed to start acting like one.

She squared her shoulders and jerked up her head in fake confidence and walked into the hospital like she owned the place. She found Dr. Whale by the quarantine room, muttering to himself and looking at his clipboard.

"Whale," Regina greeted and his head shoot up.

"Mayor Mills. I take it you are here for Emma?"

"How is she?"

"All vitals are good, though she is agitated due to boredom. But, most importantly, she's as clean as a whistle."

Those words...those words she had longed to hear. It made her feel so good to hear them. Regina let out a small sigh of relief and tried to keep herself from smiling prematurely. A huge chunk of her stress melted away and already her day felt better.

"And Hook?"

"Still a vampire, I'm afraid. And a hungry one to boot."

"Do you think he will die if he's not fed?" She asked as she looked through the glass where he was housed. She didn't want to give him human blood-it would only be enabling the vampire cause.

"Possibly. Which is another weakness of the species. Starve them and they die just like humans, though it takes longer and they get progressively more aggressive if you do." There was a loud crash at his words and Regina peered in through the window to see that Hook had trashed his room, and was breathing heavily, looking wildly for more things he could take his aggression out on. He grabbed violently at his metal framed bed and struggled to lift it up before throwing it at the wall which chipped and bent under the attack.

Interesting. He had struggled to lift the frame up. He was weakened by his hunger.

"We're going to have to transfer him out."

"I agree." Whale tapped his pen on his clipboard, looking a bit saddened his experiment was going to be moved. "Should we feed him?"

"Only animal blood," Regina conceded at last, knowing that doing so wouldn't force her to ask for blood donations from her citizens, and it would piss Snow White off to know her animals were being killed off. "But not too much. I want to see if feeding him blood of any variety gives him his super human strength back."

Whale's lips stretched wide, happy he got to carry some sort of tests out. "I'll start with a pint of squirrel blood and keep you updated on the results."

"Good." And good luck on catching those rodents. They were notoriously annoying to gather. She strode off a few feet down to Emma's room steps more confident now, finding the woman laying on the floor, eyes closed and hands crossed behind her head.

Regina felt something in her chest loosen. Emma was fine, truly fine, and Henry would no longer have to worry about her. And neither would Regina. She turned the intercom system on. "Emma. Emma!" it took two tries to get the woman's attention; once she did Emma bounced up to her feet.

"Is it time? Am I free to go?" She looked like an excited puppy about to be adopted.

"Yes. You can come home." Regina held back her smile as she unlocked the door and Emma rushed out, hugging the other woman tightly like she had been starving for her touch. Regina hadn't expected that; they had never hugged before. So she stood there a bit shocked, limbs heavy, before she tentatively hugged her back. Emma's skin was warm under her tee and Regina could feel the steady beat of the blonde's heart against her chest. It's beat was light, fluttery and it reassured Regina in a way that Whale's words could not. Here was Emma, alive and warm and not cold like a vampire. She was human.

Despite being locked up for two weeks, Emma still smelled strongly of her soft scents, and not like hospital antiseptic. She smelled like vanilla and butter cookies. "Thank god, I was going to lose my mind in there."

"As if you had one to lose," Regina scoffed back in good nature.

The smell was comforting and for some reason it made Regina's stomach gurgle in hunger. Probably because she hadn't ate properly for days and Emma's smell was reminding her of dessert.

"Sounds like someone is hungry," Emma teased as she pulled back, eyes drinking in Regina's countenance. It was so good to see her friend. To finally be able to touch her. She'd missed her a lot more than she thought she would.

Regina was embarrassed by the betrayal of her stomach, a sharp retort out her mouth to defend her honor. "Could have been your stomach, you glutton."

"Fine, it was mine," Emma humored for now. "So, Granny's?"

"Or my place. Henry hasn't seen you and he's missed you dearly."

"Right. Course I want to see the kid, but is it safe to be around him?" Emma still didn't look certain at her own innocence.

"You're fine," Regina said, cupping Emma's cheek softly and with so much care that couldn't be stifled. "And if I so much as see you looking at my son's neck weird, I'll be flinging you out the window."

"Well, that's reassuring," Emma grumbled sarcastically, but it wasn't hard to see that she was happy she could go see her son, and that she could trust Regina to keep him safe. But she sobered up a bit at the thought of someone else. "And the situation with Killian? Is he still..."

"Yes," Regina said gravelly, annoyed that Emma would ruin their reunion by talking about that dirty man. "He's a vampire. And we don't know how to change that." Without doing experiments, Regina let that hang unspoken because it was a can of worms she didn't want to open again. "We're going to have to move him somewhere, because he's been shredding his room to bits, and it could get ugly if he manages to escape."

Emma nodded her head, eyes serious. "Have you thought about the jail at the police station?"

"I have. Briefly. But I negated the idea because he will be out in the open. It's troubling enough that Whale knows it, but then David, and anyone else who passes that way will see Hook and know something is wrong."

"Wait, are you intending to never let the townsfolk know about the possible threat among their midst." Emma didn't look happy at that. And she wouldn't look any happier at what Regina had to say next.

"That was my intention, yes."

"People deserve to know-"

"Emma, I don't want to start a panic in the town. If I tell them, then they will either demand Hook to be killed to fix this issue, or they will start turning on each other, thinking they can't trust each other to not turn into vampires. Chaos will erupt."

Emma narrowed her lips, begrudgingly nodding her head. "You have a point. But-,"

And of course there was that damn conjunction.

"-I want you to tell people if the situation gets worse."

Regina had to fight to not roll her eyes. "It's not going to get worse. Hook's the only infected one and everyone he talked to was locked up and checked to be symptom-less. It started at Hook, and it stops at Hook." She was confident now that since no one else was ill that she could find a solution to the dirty pirate.

She had no idea how wrong she would be.

 

 

"I'm so glad to see you back Ma!" Henry hugged Emma tight as soon as the blonde walked through the door, not letting go for a full five minutes. "Where have you been?"

"I missed you too kiddo. And uh, you know, police stuff. Secret police stuff," she added when she saw his mouth open to ask questions.

"Fine," he huffed, miffed he couldn't ask away. But he shot his mother a glare that said he knew that she knew that he knew they were hiding something from him. He skipped over to the set table instead. "Mom's making her famous lasagna."

"Oh boy," Emma's mouth began to water as she took the scents in. "I can't wait."

She sat down at the table, listening to Henry talk about his school day while Regina finished up the dish and began to plate it. Emma was all too eager to notice it, putting a pause on her chat with Henry. "As much as I love you kid, I love Regina's lasagna, so I'm cutting you off there," Emma grinned as she ruffled her son's head and began to dig into the dish.

"No fair Ma!" Henry whined but in good nature. "I was just getting to the good part."

"What? I can't hear you over how much I'm enjoying this," she groaned appreciatively loud as she ate another forkful.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, but please, keep things civil. I don't want you scarring my son," Regina chided before picking up her own forkful. But when she put it in her mouth it tasted like ash. She nearly gagged on it and quickly pulled out a napkin to spit it out into. "How can you eat this?" she asked, scandalized. "Why didn't anyone tell me it tastes terrible?"

"Huh?" Emma's full mouth hung open. "What are you talking about?"

"Yea, mom, it's delicious."

Regina cast her son and Emma an odd look. They were tearing right into the food like nothing was out of odds.

She furrowed her brow and tried again, thinking maybe the first bite had been a oddity. But no, the second bite tasted just as terrible. This time she got up and spat it out into the trash, grabbing a glass and rinsing the lingering taste out with some water. Was something wrong with her taste buds?

"Are you okay?" When Regina hadn't returned, Emma had padded into the kitchen, eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine," Regina automatically replied with, because she was always so used to portraying that she was, even if she wasn't. "I must just not be hungry." But she was. She could feel the hunger gnawing at her belly, clawing up her throat, and the sweet dessert like smell that wafted from Emma only reinforced it.

"Okay," Emma didn't look convinced. "If anything, just tell me."

Regina nodded her head tightly. "Of course, Miss Swan."

Emma narrowed her eyes. She knew Regina was trying to distance herself emotionally now with using Emma's last name, but she didn't know why the mayor would do this. Was something really wrong? What was eating at her? But Emma knew she wasn't going to get an answer now so she went back to her meal. Regina didn't leave her kitchen for the rest of the dinner.

Once Henry had gone upstairs to bed, Emma stayed behind for a little bit, so they could discuss what they could do with Hook.

"I think I'm going to make a magical cage for him," Regina said, sitting down on her sofa, glass of water in her hand. Water seemed to be the only thing that didn't taste bad. She'd stayed in the kitchen during Emma's and Henry's meal and tried other foods. Fruits, vegetables, even her favorite snacks, all tasted terribly to her. Not to alert her guests, she tried to keep her panic quiet, but her hands were shaking. Even now they shook and she had to steady her glass with both hands.

Something was wrong with her. She needed to check with Whale. Maybe it was something like menopause- she'd heard it did weird things to a woman's body. And she was after all, sixty something years old. It would explain why she would wake up sweaty at night, angry and fearful.

"And where will the cage be?" Emma stood in front of her, thumbs tucked into the back of her jeans.

"I'll keep it in my Vault. No one will be able to go in but me."

"So who will feed him?"

Regina had quickly filled in Emma about her blood theory. While Whale was doing it now, the task would fall squarely upon Regina's shoulders as she was the only one with access to her Vault. "I'll do it," she said with only a slight curl of her upper lip at having to take care of the foul man.

"Why not keep him in the hospital, but just magically reinforce the area there?"

"I suppose that's fine too." Regina would prefer to keep him out of sight, but it would require her to sacrifice her own time in order to feed him. She didn't want to; he wasn't some treasured pet of hers. "Will you help?" Their magic combined would make the cage impenetrable.

"Of course," Emma nodded her head, before rocking back on her heels. She looked like she had something else to say but was having a tough time saying it.

"Spit it out, whatever it is you want to say," Regina didn't have the patience to wait.

"I was only wondering...are you okay? You look paler than usual."

"I'm fine," Regina snapped, uncomfortable with the scrutiny of Emma's worry. She wasn't used to having people care about her so ardently. "Just the stress of all of this. I don't want an apocalypse rampaging inside my town."

"You're not alone, Regina. I'm here to help as well."

Regina didn't say anything to that, watching as Emma left to go back home. She sighed and finished off her glass before she too went up to bed. That night she dreamed of darkness and voices, and that scent- Emma's scent. She woke up not screaming this time, but insanely thirsty. Her throat felt like the desert. She went to the bathroom and turned on the tap, desperately drinking and drinking straight from it until the burn faded. It didn't dissipate entirely and that annoyed her. The hunger in her stomach was still there too, only slightly tamed by sleep.

She went back to her room, thinking she could perhaps go back to sleep when her cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw that Princess was calling. "Emma?" she answered, voice a little dusty from how dry it had been. "Why are you calling at three in the morning?"

Emma sounded uncertain. "Uh, Regina we have an issue."

Regina felt a chill go down her back, instantly alert. "Is it Hook, did he escape?" she asked in a rush. She was going to roast his balls on a pike alive if that was the case.

"No, it's not him." Emma swallowed hard. "There's another vampire."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shits about to hit the fan in Storybrooke.


	5. The Stakes Have Risen

* * *

_Blood blood blood pour more through my veins I'm not that innocent_

_-Blood, In this Moment-_

* * *

Regina's foot stumbles on the curb when she appears where Emma told her to be. She's still struggling to pull a sweater on over her head, having gotten dressed as quickly as possible, forgetting she could dress herself with magic in the rush.

"Emma-"

But Emma raises a finger to her lips to shush her and when Regina snaps her jaw shut, she then makes a come closer motion with her hand. Regina obediently follows behind, befuddled by Emma's calm and collected actions. It looks like she's trying to sneak up on some deer right now, half crouching, steps careful.

Regina's glad she wore flats and not her heels. They would have been too loud for this. Emma leads them around the corner to where the street ends. They're in the part of town not many people go to and for good reasons. This is the neighborhood where the Queens of Darkness roam, the place they call home.

They enter the woods, going even slower, careful not to snap any twigs or crinkle any leaves. Emma makes a motion for Regina to pause and she does, wondering what this is all about. She had rushed here to take care of a vampire, and not go sneaking into the woods. Emma carefully edges over to a bush, holding her breath captive in her throat. There are noises coming from behind the bush and as Emma brushes the leaves back Regina can make out the form of a thin woman with mismatched hair digging into something, lost to the world around her.

Something hot twists in Regina's stomach and her hand comes up to her mouth as the scent of blood permeates the air. It's thick and cloying and not human. And that's because as the woman shifts closer to the light coming in from the lamp post a few feet away, the thing she's hunched over becomes clearer. It's black and white spotted coat is caked with blood, like a curtain draping down its neck. It's lifeless eyes stare back at Regina and the look of horror on her face only doubles.

Emma lets the leaves gently drop back before she backs away, hands out, eyes never leaving the bush. Regina stands frozen where she is until Emma grabs her by the elbow and redirects her towards her parked police car a block away.

"What is Cruella doing?" Regina demands, voice tight with effort to restrain her disgust and to keep quiet.

"I think it's obvious. She's gone full vamp," Emma explained patiently but that is only a facade because panic settles in the edges of her skin, makes them tighter.

"Are you sure?" But Regina knows Cruella; her frenemy would never do that to one of her beloved dogs if she were of sound mind. Would never kill it and drink from it's neck. The imagery-Cruella face deep, neck veins pulsating as they were filled with other life source- is one that sticks with Regina.

"I was doing my night rounds when I saw her running across the street, covered in blood, chasing down her dogs. She didn't move like a human," Emma said and its clear the trauma of that sight has on her as her hands twitch over her gun, as she looks on for Regina's opinion. "What do we do with her?"

"We obviously have to take her in! She can't be left loose like this!" This is Regina's worst nightmare, having an outbreak right inside what was meant to be a safe haven. She curses Hook's name to high heaven, because if it hadn't been for him, this would not have occurred. She's sure he's responsible somehow for Cruella changing, she just doesn't know how.

Emma nods her head stiffly. Holds out her hand for Regina to grasp. Regina forgets for a moment that they combine their magic like this and thinks Emma needs comfort, something to raise her mettle. She is about to scoff because she's clearly not the type to be soft and comforting when she recalls with a flush the true reason for this and slips her hand into Emma's clammy one.

"You got a plan?" Emma asked hopefully, "because I kind of don't want a repeat of the last time."

The last time meaning the loss of those three children's lives. Regina regrettably does not have much of a plan. "We should make an air bubble around ourselves to prevent contamination by air. It might not be airborne completely but why have the risk."

"Right," Emma nods her head and summons up an air bubble around her head just like Regina does around her own head. The bubbles are clear and round and muffle a bit of the outside sound. "Now what do we do?"

Regina knows Emma is looking for guidance but she certainly does not know, not having expected this thing to happen to her town. She'd always worried more about breaches from outside, not attacks on the inside. "We need to take her down as none violently as possible so we can have her turned over to Whale so he can keep an eye on her. I won't have any citizens of mine lost to this damned curse."

"Good," Emma nods her head. "Because here she comes."

Cruella stumbles out of the bushes, fur coat hanging off my shoulder like she's drunk, and the front of her thin dress covered in blood as is her lower face and neck. She wipes at her mouth, eyes immediately spotting them. "Well, who do we have here? The Savior and her little Queen? A delicious snack for me. Thank you for waiting." She flashes razor sharp teeth at them.

"Cruella, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Come with us quietly and no harm will come to you. You are not in the correct state of mind," Emma said, hand outstretched in warning.

"And pass up on tasting you both? I don't think so." Her grin was too wide, too wrong.

The curse truly was monstrous. Cruella had dispatched so many dogs and she still wasn't sated. And now her hunger had turned to humans.

With a snarl she launched right at the both of them. "Emma, stand back!" Regina whirled Emma to the side and held out her palm which was on fire. Cruella hissed and lingered back from it. Fire was an effective way to keep her back; these beasts could burn in it all too quickly. "If you come any closer, I will fry you."

Cruella hissed and snarled in frustration, edging and circling around them. Regina would only increase the intensity of the flames when Cruella got too close. "Emma, you need to cast a knock out spell, and now," the mayor whispered out of the side of her mouth to Emma who nodded her head and concentrating a second on the correct spell, sent it blasting forwards. Cruella dodged it, baring her teeth in laughter at Emma's failure.

"You're going to have to move faster than that if you want to hold me."

"Then maybe this will hold you." Regina lifted both hands up and a circle of flames sprouted around Cruella. She won't lie- this type of spell nothing too hard for Regina, is draining her because of the lack of sustenance in her body. Black spots dance in front of her eyes. The vampire panicked, snapping her teeth at the flames but being forced to rear back into the center of the shape in order to keep her skin from sizzling. Emma didn't wait to be prompted again. She aimed her spell a second time and it caught Cruella right in the face. The vampire fainted and as soon as she touched the ground, Regina extinguished the fires.

"Well, I was...expecting more of a fight to be honest," Emma commented as she bent down to peer at Cruella's sleeping form.

"You should be grateful it wasn't worse," Regina sniffed. "I swear, sometimes your sense for adventure leads us into these situations."

"I wasn't asking for an adventure!" Emma defended. "I'm just saying, we were both prepared for worse and then it wasn't that bad."

"Always be prepared for the worst scenario. It's what makes a good leader."

Emma rolled her eyes. She already knew that, thank you very much. It was too late for such life lessons.

"Let's get her to Whale and a new cell in the hospital and then we need to come back here and do damage control. See if anyone else was involved in her little rampage."

"Got it, boss." The two women lifted Cruella's limp body up by an arm each.

* * *

When they had the newly minted vampire secured under Whale's care, the two women went back to Cruella's residence.

"Ugh, this place is a mess," Emma grumbled, holding a hand up to her nose because of the smell of decay and blood. Almost all the rooms were a mess. Chairs and tables flipped over, gouges on the walls and dog carcasses drained of life everywhere. Emma's flashlight highlighted the gore and she had to try really hard not to be squeamish about this.

"This doesn't offend your sensibilities?" Emma asked because they had to wade through a sticky pile of blood to get to the next room over.

"I've seen worse. Done worse," Regina hesitantly answered as she surveyed the damage. Was this all fresh? Or had some of these come from earlier down the week? When had Cruella even got infected? Hook hadn't mentioned ever crossing paths with her and he had been locked up during the time her incubation period would have begun. So then how? How was she ill?

"Look around for anything that could be a clue," Regina instructed and they split up, with the mayor taking the top and Emma taking the bottom floor. They browsed around for hours until the early dawn light comes in through the windows signaling that it's time to end their failed search.

"Nothing?" Emma asks as Regina descends the stairs, those black spots still in front of her vision. So she takes her time coming carefully down least she fall.

"Nothing. You?"

Emma shakes her head. "Nothing to tell why and how she became a vampire. Should we talk to her friends?"

"I think it's a good idea to speak to the rest of the Queens of Darkness and the sooner the better." They exit the house and Regina leads the way over to Emma's cruiser, the sun pounding down on her head, making it hurt. "She's close with them so they might be able to tell us if they noticed anything weird about her. And, we also have to check them for symptoms too."

"You okay there?" Emma asks, noticing how Regina's steps don't seem so confident or powerful anymore.

"I'm fine," Regina insists but her not being fine is slowly becoming too obvious. She's tired, frazzled and she needs more sleep and less stress.

The days events, the usage of her magic, the sleepless nights, and her empty stomach, everything catches up to her under the burn of the sun and she feels her eyes tip into the back of her head as her body drops down.

"Regina!" comes Emma cries through thick smoke and then Regina sees black.

* * *

She wakes up some moments later in her own bed, disoriented as to how she got here. She sits up but a hand on her shoulder stops her.

"Slow down there." It's Emma, and her hand is warm and soft on Regina's shoulder.

"What happened?" Regina asks in a dry voice though she does lay back down.

"You fainted. Is...is everything okay, Regina? You look a little pale lately," Emma asks softly and Regina scoffs but it doesn't come off as derisive but like a sad little sound.

"I'm fine. Just a bit stressed about the vampire out break is all."

"Then let me handle things for once," Emma insists. "You rest up here and let me interrogate Cruella's friends."

"Emma-" Regina begins to protest and sit up again but Emma shoves her down more forcefully this time.

"No, stay here. Get some rest. You look like you need it."

Regina frowns. She does not need it; she's fine. But the part of her that she doesn't throw on as a facade knows that rationally she needs this rest. So she grumbles and makes a big show of it, but does lay back down, her eyes already heavy and ready to pull her into slumber.

"I'll let you know when I'm done, and what sort of information I've gathered. Don't worry. If it's one thing I'm good at, it's sniffing the truth out of people."

"I do hope so. Don't make me regret leaving this up to you," she mumbles out, body already waiting to slip into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness and Emma smiles at her.

Then she leaves and Regina turns on her side, snuggling deeper into her bed sheets and closing her eyes.

* * *

She dreams of vanilla cookies, so close, their scent so strong, that she can smell them. That night she wakes up so thirsty it hurts. It's like hot needles and broken glass down her throat trying to dig their way out- it hurts to swallow- and she claws at her neck trying to subside the pain until she can stumble over to the sink. She turns the tap on full blast and drinks and drinks so desperately, lapping at the cool stream feeling much like an animal. She's all but ready to suck the faucet dry, hand in a death grip on the handle, pushing up to increase the stream but there is no more it can go. And it all feels so good that she can't help but make happy noises as it slides down her throat, assuages that pricking sensation.

After what seems like hours she finally pulls free, stomach heavy with water and she pants trying to regain her breath. There is water down her neck, wetting her shirt and pooling around her feet where it has dripped down.

A light going on startles her and she squints at it's harshness that dares to rip away the comfort of the night. "Henry? What are you doing up?" because it's three in the morning and he is up, having flicked on the night stand lamp in the room over.

"I heard running tap water and thought I left it on." He's wiping the sleep from his eyes, confusion on his face as to what his mother was doing in the dead of night.

"Oh, no, it was just me." Regina offers a sheepish grin. "I was just thirsty. Really thirsty."

He gives her a long look, the clock on the wall ticking away the silence. There's suspicion on his face. "Are you okay?" he imparts at last and Regina grits her teeth in what she hopes is casual, hands clamped together in the front.

"Of course I am sweetie. Just really dehydrated."

He doesn't mention how scared he had been. Scared when he'd come down in the dark, seen someone bent over the sink, making animalistic noises as they feasted upon the water. Doesn't mention how Regina's eyes glimmer oddly in the night. "Okay," he nods his head and goes back upstairs, thinking he can blame all this on a sleep fuzzy brain.

Regina waits there a moment longer before she grabs a towel and mops up the mess around her, retreating upstairs when its all done. But if she thinks sleep will come easy to her she is wrong because she twists and turns in bed, the water sitting heavy in her stomach like it doesn't belong there. And when she finally drifts off to sleep, its fitful and painful and she wakes at dawn, aching all over. There's a soreness to her body she doesn't understand, doesn't know how it got except maybe for exerting herself yesterday when she hasn't eaten anything.

But as she trudges down to the kitchen and thinks of making some scrambled eggs her stomach clenches in rebellion and she knows nothing will go down. She really needs to visit Whale and soon. Stress is doing a real number on her body and she can't afford it to when she needs to be strong for her constituents. So she brews herself a strong cup of tea and waits for Henry to come down. He bounds down the stairs and immediately pounces onto his cereal.

"Good morning, Henry," she says as she settles down by him. "I hope you got enough sleep. Sorry for waking you up."

He shook his head, quickly swallowing down his mouthful to speak. "It's fine. I was just worried. Do you feel okay?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she gives him a full smile, trying to convince him she's totally fine.

He shrugs. "It's just after you collapsed yesterday, and then your screaming this morning-"

Regina's lips drop. "Screaming?"

"Yea, you were screaming a bit. I dropped by to see if you were fine, but by the time I came you were already back asleep." His eyes stay on her face, bullying her into telling him the truth but Regina shrugs and acts unaffected. "It must have had to do with some unpleasant past memories surfacing. They were intense."

He chews slowly on his next spoonful, gaze on her until Regina was forced to get up from her seat, uncomfortable with keeping things from him. He knows she said she wouldn't keep things from him, but in this case she can't tell him the truth about vampires being in their town because she doesn't want to scare him. Usually he is fearless because he knows Regina and Emma can always find a solution to something, but he actually fears the vampires because...well, it's not a story this time.

"Do you want a banana with your lunch today?" she asks, making it seem like she left so she could get this for him. She's already looking around the fruit bowl.

"No thanks, mom," he responds with and goes back to his breakfast. "You should eat it. To keep up your strength."

And Regina wonders if that's something else he has noticed too.

When he's off to school, Regina dresses for the day and meets with Emma at Granny's to discuss what can be done next about Cruella.

"Clearly, we have to keep her in quarantine. And then do regular check ups who she's been in contact with over the past weeks," Regina states while she watches Emma scarf down a full breakfast, whole slices of greasy bacon and sausages going down like nothing. It's kind of...disgusting, though Regina is fascinated by the way Emma's throat bobs with each swallow. It's such a nice neck too. Soft, tempting, and descending down into collarbones that have a pop to them. They make Regina want to run a tongue over them.

"Regina? Regina?"

Regina jerks back to reality realizing she's been absentmindedly staring at Emma's neck. "Sorry, I'm still out of it since yesterday."

Emma frowns at the lie but says nothing on it, instead repeating. "I said do you still think the virus is airborne?"

"Uh..." Regina trails off because her throat is burning like you wouldn't believe and she's so damn thirsty again. She grabs the glass of water by Emma and tips it back, not stopping until it's all empty. She sets the glass down heavily, breathing out heavily. Emma's brow is up while a forkful of food hovers in midair. "Um?"

"I was...thirsty," Regina concludes, suddenly embarrassed by her behavior. She shoves the empty glass back to Emma, thirst slaked for now. "But back on topic, I'm not sure if the virus is airborne. I thought it was, and then you were fine even though you were exposed to Hook. But for safety's sake let's not take any chances.

Emma nodded her head. "Got it." She finished the last bite of her meal and shoved the empty plate away. "Shall we visit our prisoner?"

They both stood up to go see Cruella, Regina's legs aching with the motion. Even sitting was painful and she wondered why the hell did she feel this beat up when she hadn't even really fought Cruella yesterday? Were her muscles atrophying due to lack of food? She really should see Whale and soon. She'd schedule an appointment for tomorrow.

"Now, tell me what you found out on the Queen's of Darkness." Regina had slept through the whole day yesterday so she'd missed any opportunity she'd had for Emma to relay information back to her.

"They've all had regular contact with her over the past two weeks, though they stopped seeing her around three days ago."

Regina nodded her head. "That's when the changes must have really erupted and then finalized." Regina was beginning to sweat under her light blazer; since when was it this fucking hot outside? She pulled on the collar of it to get some fresh air but all it did was make her hotter. So she rolled up the sleeves; that didn't help either.

"I asked them if they had noticed Cruella acting out of the ordinary," Emma went on, pulling out a pad on which she had taken some notes on. "They said she seemed a little sick for a bit. Like she had caught the flu. Mal was the first to notice it; said she gave some herbs to Cruella to keep up her strength. Ursula said she'd come over to Cruella's house to help her out until she got better, but then Cruella stopped wanting to have guests, saying she was busy redecorating or something. They didn't pry, figuring it was some petty villain scheme Cruella didn't want anyone sticking their tail or tentacle into."

Emma's words were beginning to swim in Regina's ears and the street was suddenly tilting sideways. Was it supposed to do that? She felt like a drunk, trying to learn to walk. And the sun's glare was so fucking strong! It made everything glow in a damned white light. It hurt her eyes.

"Do you think they have a chance of being infected? I asked if they felt any of the symptoms you'd given me a list for, but they said nothing had occurred yet. Which, I guess makes sense given it takes two weeks for someone to turn into a vampire. Also, they want to know what happened to Cruella, and why we're asking all these questions." When Regina didn't say anything, Emma looked up and finally noticed how bad Regina looked.

The woman's leg buckled and Emma caught her just in time, slowly lowering her to a nearby bench. "Regina, what is going on? You look terrible."

"I...I don't know," she muttered out, barely able to see Emma's face for all the blinding light. She reached out a hand blindly and grabbed Emma's face. "I think...I need to go home."

"Did Cruella hurt you yesterday? Did she do something to you?" Emma asked, slightly panicked and already lifting Regina up and hobbling with her to the car they'd been trying to get to. It was only a block away.

Regina shook her head. "No...just stress."

"Stress doesn't do this to someone, Regina. Are you sick?"

But answering Emma's questions was getting to be too much. She just wanted to go somewhere cool and dark where she could stop the burning of her skin and the brightness of the day. They finally got to Emma's car and she dropped Regina into the passenger seat before rushing over to the driver's side and peeling out of the street quickly. She knew she could poof them over much more quickly, but she didn't want to risk it with Regina in this state.

In the car it was slightly darker and cooler and for that Regina was relieved. The slight delirium she had fallen under decreased and she began stripping off her blazer.

"What are you doing?" Emma declared as Regina now took to unbuttoning her shirt.

"I'm hot. And I need to cool down."

"Then don't undress! I'll turn the Ac on!" Regina completely missed the flushed expression on Emma's face as she fumbled with the car's buttons. Within moments cool air was blowing in and Regina plastered herself to the vents, letting the cool air waft over her. She couldn't help the relieved groan that left her mouth. Finally, some respite. She stayed in that position the whole time, even flapping open the top three buttons of her shirt to get more cold air under.

Emma kept having to tear her eyes away from how Regina's cleavage almost spilled out of the open gap.

When they arrived at the mansion, Regina was feeling better. Gone was the hot flash. Maybe it was menopause after all, and coupled with the stress, it was making her feel weird and out of control about her own body. Still, scheduling that appointment with Whale would be a good idea.

In the cool shades of her mansion Regina was able to retrieve her bearings and immediately opened her fridge to get some cool water. She was parched.

"So...uh, you gonna be okay?" Emma scuffed the floor with her socks, clearly worried over Regina. That had been quite a scare. Emma had never seen Regina so out of it before. What had brought it on?

"Yes, I'm fine now," Regina said after she had drained her glass in one go and went to replenish it. "Just a hot flash, I believe."

Emma nodded her head, considering Regina's words. "You should go see Whale about it-"

"I know," Regina cut in impatiently. "But time has been tight recently given all we have to do. Leave me your reports on the Queen's of Darkness and let me handle what comes next with them. We can't let them know vampires are loose in this town."

Emma obediently handed over her notes to Regina but still stayed there, rocking back and forth in place.

"Yes?" Regina arched her brow impatiently. What more could Emma want? Regina needed to go and shower, her skin gross and sweaty and muscles aching from her hot flash.

"I...just don't want to leave you alone when you're not feeling so well-"

"Emma, I assure you, I'm fine now. And if I need help, I'll let you know." Regina hated calling out for help and most likely wouldn't, but she had to say that to make Emma leave her in peace.

A brief thought cut through Regina like ice. What if she was...becoming a vampire? She had a sudden loss of appetite and the sun had weakened her...but why would she have these symptoms? She had barely interacted with Hook and she hadn't stepped foot out enough into the outside world to catch anything. Because if Emma had been outside and she hadn't gotten anything, than neither should Regina. It wouldn't make sense.

Maybe she was malingering? Assigning these symptoms to herself because she was so obsessed with them? What if she was so stressed from thinking about them that she was somehow convincing herself she was sick? It could be a possibility.

Reasoning made her feel at peace once more.

Emma frowned, sensing the lie but didn't let on that she knew. "Be sure that you do. Or else I'll come by to check on you." Then Emma went off to finish her police patrols while Regina sipped on her glass more slowly now, glancing over the notes.

Emma may have said the Queen's were symptom-less but Regina knew better. It was time she paid them a visit herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This story doesn't take place during any particular season of the show. But it is definitely after season one, and though Regina's curse is broken, her magic still protects the town. The Queen's of Darkness are here, Elsa and her Frozen team are not, and neither are Rumple and Belle.


	6. The Truth will Shake You to Your Core

* * *

_I am my own disease that lives inside of me/I can't go fix my ways_   
_They're held inside by my shame_   
_I can't fulfill the need that's screaming out of me_

_-4th point, I am my own Disease-_

* * *

  **"** Your test results are in," Whale said, flipping the pages on his clipboard as he came into the doctoral office. Regina sat primly on the patient's table, ankles crossed and hands folded on her lap.

"And?" she asked impatiently. "What do they say."

"Well, other than low blood sugar levels, as well as low iron levels and a high white blood cell count that indicate your body being under a lot of stress, you seem fine."

"So there's nothing...?" Regina trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blank.

"No. Hormonal levels are in fluctuation but that is normal for someone in your age."

"So it's menopause." She stated, the line of her mouth flat in distaste. It seemed despite her body's physical age, her actual age was causing the two of them to collide and make her body act older than it was.

"It seems that way," he said, sitting down at his desk. "Now, this is normal for a woman in your age-"

"Save it," she said brusquely as she got up and pulled on her blazer. She didn't need a creep like him trying to make her feel better. Though she couldn't believe she was actually getting older. She supposed that made sense given how time was running in her town again. It just felt odd, after being so ageless for so long, for something so human to affect her. But, now wasn't the time to dwell on this, not when she had vampires in her town.

"I have reports on Hook if you need an update," Whale said as he got up to walk her out the door. That kept her from leaving just yet.

"Any changes?"

"I found that feeding him animal blood keeps up his health the same as human blood does. So they can be feed alternatively."

"I don't care about his sustenance. I care about a cure. Have you come closer to finding one?"

Whale shook his head and Regina sighed out. "As usual it'll be up to me to solve this issue." She would have to go back to her office and research up any new findings on human's reporting of the vampire outbreak. Hopefully she could find something of use there.

She exited the clinic with purpose and drove over to her office. She had barely gotten started on her research, merely turning on her computer and sitting down behind it, when Emma barged in, brows deeply furrowed.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

She slapped down a form onto Regina's desk. "I went to check up on the Queen's of Darkness. Imagine my shock and surprise when I find Maleficent is missing. Ursula filed a missing persons form for her and Cruella," Emma tapped the paper, slightly breathless from how quickly she had come here.

Regina sat up in her chair and plucked the paper up, scanning it as if it might hold the answers to what happened. "What did you tell her?"

"Obviously, Cruella's missing because she's a vamp and we can't tell Ursula that. But Maleficent? I don't know what could have happened to her. I told Ursula I would look into it, but honestly I'm worried Maleficent might have vamped out and that she could be running around town. After all, they were in contact with Cruella up until she fully turned. We need to do a search party. Now." Emma looked panicked, eyes stormy and face ashen.

"Emma, calm down," Regina instructed, needing to be the even headed one here. "It does us no good to panic. We need to approach this rationally. Maleficent, if she were to turn into a vampire, would not have reached that stage yet. The incubation period lasts a while before the actual change erupts and according to my calculations, we still have a good three days before that happens."

"What if your calculations are wrong?"

"I am rarely wrong," Regina said, keeping her voice calm for the sake of Emma, but it seemed to only agitate her more.

"Now is not the time for arrogance," Emma snapped out. "I don't want a vamp running around town. You saw what they can do."

"I am well aware of what they are capable of. You are not, given the way you blindly rushed into danger outside the town and nearly killed us all. So, stay put. If it will calm your nerves we will go on a search later. But first I have to do some research. There is no point in capturing these vampires if we cannot provide them with a cure at the end of the day." Regina tossed the report aside and went back to her computer.

This clearly was not what Emma wanted. She opened her mouth to argue but Regina cut her off. "Go to Granny's, have a bear claw, or some hot cocoa, and I will call you when I am done. And don't do anything dumb," she leveled a stare at Emma because they both knew she was prone to rash decisions. And it would be a miracle if Emma actually listened and waited like Regina ordered.

"Fine," Emma set her jaw and rushed out of the office, slamming the door on her way.

With her gone, Regina was able to get back to her research. With an updated computer that she had procured from the outside world so she could be more with the times, she scrolled through countless news reports, from the smallest to the big. Her eyes began to burn and hurt from staring at the screen for so long, and her legs ached from sitting for so long but at last she found some science articles.

News nowadays was scattered because almost all forms of organization were disorganized if not outright shut down due to the chaos outside. But someone had clipped some articles and posted them to their website in hopes of spreading the word.

**'Scientists have found that the virus is genetically caused. The only question that remains is which genes show a susceptibility to this virus?'**

The article had actual very little volume to it but it did provide a big clue to what was happening. At least it wasn't air borne and neither was it passed by saliva or blood exchange. That was a relief. But genes...? How could genes determine if one got the virus or not? That seemed a bit absurd. She would need to send this to Whale and get him to genetically test Hook. But would that even be possible? Last time Regina had checked, they were fairytales and wouldn't have a genetic code. Still, it wouldn't hurt to try.

She printed out the article and made way over to Whale.

* * *

Emma stood in front of Killian's room, watching the man through the one way mirror. He was currently sitting in his bed, reading a book. His hook had been removed so he couldn't hurt anyone so his one hand was hidden up his hospital sleeves. His beard was bushier and his hair wild. He clearly didn't have time for personal hygiene. Emma felt bad seeing him like this.

He didn't seem violent or crazy right now. Just like a man who had been imprisoned wrongly. She placed a hand on the glass as if she could somehow reach out to him this way. She wanted to talk to him but she didn't know if that was such a good idea. She didn't want to disrupt him and trigger the vampire in him, because despite the fact that he looked casual right now there was no telling how he would react. He was her Killian but not him at the same time. She sighed and rubbed her head.

She hated this. This feeling of being unable to do anything. Of having to sit around. Regina had ignored her concerns about Maleficent being a possible vampire and had told her to wait around. Why wasn't the mayor worried? Calculations could be wrong and Maleficent could be out there murdering innocents.

Emma glanced at her watch. Already it had been four hours of idling, the bear claw's sugar only agitating Emma more, and making her limbs restless. If Regina made her wait any longer than she was going to just go and do the search on her own.

"You know he hasn't gotten any better," Whale's voice startled Emma and she nearly jumped when she faced him. He had silently made his way into the long white corridor.

"He hasn't?" That was depressing information to be provided.

"Why should he? His body has been transformed by the virus. Who knows if even when we develop a cure if that will be enough to turn him back to normal."

"What do you mean his body is different?" That caught Emma's attentions and not in a good way.

"His muscles have transformed. They're...stronger and the proteins that make them up are different than a humans. It's what makes them faster and supine, more like the predator needed to hunt down their prey. That applies to the muscle know as the brain as well. It's rewired to a more primal state. They are capable of thinking like us, but more often than not are horrid at holding back their emotions or wants like we do. Their frontal lobe is shot. Additionally, his hearing and eyesight are extraordinary, like those of birds of prey. Not to mention his sense of smell. Better than a dog's almost."

"And you don't think that would be retracted once he turned back human?"

"I do not know. Finding a cure...the cure would have to be the exact opposite of the virus. It would have to be able to undo all the work the virus has done. In short, it would need to revert his muscle structure, his eye sight, his hearing, everything. A total system recall. But constructing something like that would be difficult. I would need to find the virus in purest form in order for me to reconstruct it in the lab and then undo it."

"And where would we find such a pure form of the virus?"

Whale shook his head, shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "Your guess is as good as mine. All we can do is hope Regina can somehow find a way to find it."

Emma's mind began to whirl with possibilities. What if they went into the outside world? Perhaps they could find something there? Could find the virus and take it back to Storybrooke and work on making the cure here?

But she knew Regina would never let them do this. And without Regina or Whale to guide her, Emma would have no idea on what to look for.

She sighed heavily. "What else can you tell me about Killian?" she wanted to know just how bad the situation with him was so she could be motivated even more to help him.

Whale looked on at Emma, with an odd look in his eyes before he turned to look at the window. Killian was still reading his book, entirely immersed in it. It seemed something of human intellect still resided in him.

"I'm surprised the mayor hasn't filled you in on the conditions of a vampire. She is the expert in this case. She was the one who told me everything about them."

"She hasn't told me everything." And Emma wonders why that is. Emma only has a rudimentary knowledge of them that renders her capable of identifying the full out vamps. But not one in transition except that they get sick with flu like symptoms.

"Emma," Whale sighed out suddenly, exasperated that she wasn't getting something that he hadn't even told her. "Regina came in today for a check up."

"She finally did?" Emma raised a brow in shock, wondering at all how this was related. Was Whale worried that Regina might collapse on them during the fight against vampires? "She said she hadn't been feeling well for a while."

"And how long has she not been feeling well?"

"Um," Emma thought back, not too sure. "I noticed about a week back, but maybe it's been longer? Did you give her something to help her with it?"

"No," he shook his head. "I told her it was menopause. But I don't think that's the case."

Emma didn't like the sound of this. She swallowed hard. "Then what is it?"

"Keep an eye on her, will you?" Whale said mysteriously before he strode off down the hall. Emma would have shouted after him, demanding more from him, had fear not choked her up.

Shit.

* * *

Like promised, Regina went on a search party with Emma later that evening. They scoured the whole town, even using magic to try and track the missing woman down but to no avail. Nothing came up.

"I don't understand. How could she just disappear?" Emma cried out, kicking the side of her parked car in frustration.

"She has magic, it's possible she's using it to cover up her tracks."

"But if she's vamp, then surely she can't control it as well. Whale told me that vampires brains are rewired to think on a more basic level and to be susceptible to primal urges which should make magic control harder."

"When did you talk to Whale?" Regina inquired, uneasy at Emma interacting with the man for whatever reason.

"When I was bored, waiting on you."

"Maleficent is a proficient magic user. Even if her mental capabilities are impinged upon she would still be able to control her magic."

"That's just great," Emma commented sarcastically. "Now what do we do?"

"We can put up a warning for her through the police department that way if anyone sees her they can report to us."

"What if she vamps out and hurts someone? She could be anywhere." Emma threw her hands up.

"When that time comes, we'll deal with it," Regina said calmly and with deadly promise. "I did want to tell you that I found something promising about the cure."

Instantly Emma forgot about everything else. "What?" she asked eagerly, hoping to put an end to Killian's suffering and to all those other humans out there as well.

"The humans have found that it's genetic."

"Genetic?" Emma wasn't expecting this.

"Which means that trying to cure a story book creature of it might not be possible. I don't think we have DNA Emma."

Emma's stomach sank, all hope eradicated. "Then how would Hook get sick if he doesn't have DNA and this is genetic?"

"That is something I hope Whale can help with. I hope you don't mind but I've had Whale doing minor non intrusive tests on Killian. Such as blood work, and the likes. I know you don't want us studying him, but small tests like this are needed to make sure he doesn't expire prematurely."

"Why would he die beforehand?" Emma asked warily, shoving her hands into her pockets and fixing Regina with her best glare. What was Regina up to? Was she doing something behind Emma's back?

"Because we've been feeding him animal blood and other supplements to blood to see if vampires can be more humanized and we don't want to hurt him." Regina didn't say that he was a valuable test subject yet that she didn't mind if he was in pain. He deserved it for hurting Emma the way he did.

"I thought you said you weren't going to harm him. I said that I didn't want him to be experimented on. That you should do it to me-"

"Except you're not a vampire and he is. And we're not harming him. We're making sure he stays alive and healthy. If we relieve him of a pint or two of his blood than so be it. It's the least he owes us for this whole mess." Regina said this unapologetically. She was not going to stand down to Emma, not when she needed results and answers.

Emma twisted up her lips. She didn't like this but she had no choice but to agree to it for now. She would trust in her friend's intentions. "And Cruella. Where is she being held? I didn't see where she was kept."

"She's kept in a separate area. We don't want two highly dangerous individuals in the same area in case of an outbreak. And Whale is testing her as well. He should be running the genetic tests soon and see what comes out."

"Hopefully, only good news," Emma rubbed her brow in worry.

They stood there, silent a moment, the croaking of frogs and the buzzing of late night insects filling the air around them. Emma was deep in thought about something, no doubt about Mal's whereabouts while Regina pursed her lips and figured out the best way to broach the next topic without revealing too much of her motivation behind it yet making it truthful enough that Emma's lie detector abilities would not see through it. "Also, Emma, could you take Henry?"

"You want me to take Henry?" They were more used to sharing Henry, but neither of them ever gave him up before the allotted time he had with them was concluded.

"I don't want to worry him. I need to do some research at my place and you know how curious he is. I don't want him accidentally stumbling across something that will scare him."

Emma nodded her head. That made sense. "Okay. How long do you want me to keep him?"

"Just until this is all over. I'll let you know," Regina smiled, glad for Emma's cooperation. There was another reason she wasn't mentioning but Emma didn't need to know it.

"It's no problem for me to take the kid on. Are you feeling better? You seem better." Emma knew Regina had been to the doctor but she didn't want to reveal that Whale had expressed concerns about her. Some very mysterious concerns.

"I went to get a check up with Whale. He told me it was menopause and while I still feel like a mess, knowing what it is is helping me cope with it."

"Just make sure to take it easy if you still don't feel up to it," Emma said in concern as they got into her car to drive back. It was night out now, their search having taken a long time. Henry would be asleep at home by the time Regina came back.

"I'm not the type to back down because of a little health concern," Regina replied as she pressed her head against the cool window pane, watching the road curve as they drove to her mansion.

Emma said goodbye before driving off and Regina entered her home, feeling starved as usual but not in any mood for anything in particular.

Regina's stomach rumbled in protest of her hunger but as she opened up the fridge nothing there enticed her. Instead she wrinkled her nose up in disgust. This menopause thing was really beginning to bother her. When the hell would it be over? She had a town to protect and would really like to be at full strength. She would like to be able to eat again.

Instead, she decided to go upstairs and get some sleep. But as she passed Henry's room, something stopped her. It was this most wondrous scent and her stomach clawed at her in desperation to have whatever was making that good scent inside it. Frowning, for she wondered if Henry had snuck some food up here, she opened the door, making out his form in the dark room easily. He was breathing steadily and his heart was slowly thumping in his chest.

Regina sniffed the air- the scent was strongest here and she sat down on Henry's bed, gently brushing his hair from his face as her eyes lowered to the pulse on his neck. Eyes traced the veins in his skin with intent as she listened to a steady heartbeat, saliva flooding her mouth. He was so delectably cute today.

She would have sat there, staring at him forever if he had not stirred in his sleep and caused her to bolt off his bed like she had been doing something she shouldn't. And she shouldn't be doing this. Heart pounding in her chest she realized that the scent was coming from Henry.

And what was worse was the hunger she felt at it.

Something finally clicked in her head and all the puzzle pieces surrounding her illness fell into place.

"Oh god," she whispered to herself. And backed out of the room as quickly as possible even as pain shot through her stomach and a thirst parched her throat. "Oh god," she moaned out and stumbled to her mirror like a drunk woman. Her upper jaw felt heavy and there was a prickling sensation there. She opened her mouth and her eyes widened in horror when she saw what was there. Two new teeth were breaking free. Two very sharp canines.

She clamped her jaw shut, hand over her mouth as panic whirled inside her.

How could she miss all the signs?

She knew all the symptoms yet they had gone over her head in this case.

Oh, the irony of this.

She had foolishly thought herself invincible.

She had to do something about this. It had to be a bad dream. Yes, she was hallucinating from lack of food. Sleep. Sleep would help her.

With shaking hands she changed into her pjs and slid into her bed, swirling her wrist to lock her bedroom door just in case. And then, trembling and refusing to think about things, about the hunger gnawing inside her, she forced herself to go to sleep, wrapping the covers around her like a cocoon. Like she used to do when she was a young child, terrified and hiding under her covers like they could shield her from her mother's wrath.

The morning wasn't any better. Regina woke up, pallor pale and dark circles under her eyes. She couldn't sleep properly, her hunger waking her up with cruel fingers that forced her to curl in on herself and nearly sob in pain as she refused to go down the hall where Henry's scent goaded her.

And while it wasn't as bad now, it was still here, like a companion that never left.

Her jaw throbbed and running her tongue over her new canines she knew why. Everything was sharped for some reason. She could hear the soft stirring of Henry waking across the hall. Could see the dust specks floating down, could smell the sweet smell of flowers that floated in through her windows.

With dread heavy in her heart, she knew what she was. She had fully transitioned.

Without a doubt, a vampire.

She had become the filthy thing she had desired to kill. To cure. To protect this town from.

Having an unexpected existential crisis, Regina curled into a small ball under her covers and stayed there. For once in her life, she was utterly lost. What did she do now? Could she even do anything?

A knock came at her door, sounding like a gunshot to her hypersensitive ears.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Henry asked timidly. He had noticed she wasn't downstairs making breakfast for him.

"I'm...I'm okay Henry. I...just need you to go to Emma's house today. Pack up your things and go," she said, tongue feeling weird around the new additions in her mouth.

"Um, mom you don't sound fine-"

"Just go," she ordered, a hint of panic in her words. "I promise I'll be fine and that I'll explain everything to you later."

There was a long silence before he sighed. "Okay. Love you mom."

"And I love you too," she almost choked up as she said that because just last night she had been tempted to drink his blood. Her precious Henry's blood. Her  _own_  son.

It was a good thing she had told Emma to take Henry in yesterday because there was no way she could keep Henry around.

She listened intently for him packing up before he left the house and only then did she let out a breath of relief. She plopped down on the mattress, rubbed her face and tongued her fangs, and began to brain storm ways to deal with this predicament. She wouldn't let it pull her down. She would be strong. She would defeat this virus. She mustn't give into despair. Quickly, she got dressed and then went into her study pulling out every book she could find on vampires and got down to study.

She was set on having a quiet day at home when a knock came at her door, making her jump. She still wasn't used to how sensitive her hearing was.

Wondering who it could be, she opened the door and found Emma standing on her doorstep.

"Regina, are you okay?" the blonde woman immediately asked, and all Regina could do was grip the door frame hard as she was assaulted by a million different things at a time. There was the smell of Emma- sweet and powerful, like a rose with thorns. And her blood- even sweeter, carrying an undercurrent of vanilla. The pounding of Emma's heart, strong and steady thrummed in her head like a musical melody that got stuck and would play on repeat to delirium. The way the blood sloshing through her veins sounded magnified and like it was occurring right in Regina's ear drums.

But the strongest reaction was the sudden bolt of arousal that literally doubled Regina over. The blood lust was expected, this was unexpected and it made it all the worse because Regina didn't know how to deal with this. It was like a kick to the gut and she couldn't breathe. She could feel her body heat up and the usual hunger she felt was replaced by something lustier. Something more carnal.

"Regina, are you okay?" Emma asked not for the first time, noting in consternation on Regina's physical appearance. The woman was doubled over and her cheeks were flushed red.

"Just...just a cramp," she breathed out, straightening up and pushing away Emma's efforts to reach out for her. "I'm okay." But that was a big fucking lie. She was so not okay. But she would not let this virus win.

Emma didn't think Regina was okay. She could practically smell the lies coming off of her. What was Regina hiding?

"I'll come in and help you," Emma shouldered her way in before Regina could stop her.

Inside Regina was freaking out because she didn't know how she would react to possible food. Other vampires snapped and killed any humans in their vicinity because of the control their hunger had on them. Regina didn't want to hurt Emma.

"Emma, I'm fine. Really. Go home. Or go to the station and work on finding Maleficent." Regina tried to sound like she wasn't begging even though she was. Her arousal still twisted in her guts and while it drowned out her hunger for blood mysteriously, she didn't want to feel so aroused. Her body was out of control in an entirely different manner and it filled her mind with dirty sordid thoughts about Emma.

She could feel the monster of the virus calling inside her, urging her to mark Emma. To take her for her own. To seduce her. It was pure agony because Regina knew she couldn't do this to Emma. Couldn't have her like that. She needed to keep the blonde far away from her.

She clenched her hands so tight her nails broke through her skin and crimson dots escaped. And still the pain barely did anything to stall her thoughts. Thoughts of pining Emma against the wall. Of bending her over the counter and fucking her. Her throat was parched for an entirely different reason while the spot between her legs throbbed with wet heat. She felt assaulted by her own thoughts; betrayed by them. Where the hell were the even coming from?

Shit, Regina had never gotten this wet before and so quickly. What was wrong with her? Why was she feeling this way?

Emma had wandered into the kitchen to brew some tea for Regina, hoping it would do something to ease Regina. As she got the kettle out and filled it with hot water, she spoke. "Henry showed up at my house today and said he was worried about you. That you were holed up in your room this morning and not feeling well." The kettle was set down and the burner lit.

When Regina didn't respond, Emma turned around and saw the woman wasn't in the kitchen. Where had she gone? Cautiously she exited the room and entered the dining hall only to see Regina sitting statue still at the table, hands fisted and pressed into her face.

Fear raced through Emma. "Regina, are you okay?" Emma raced over to her, hands reaching to touch her, to make sure she was fine. The action only stiffened Regina up more. She had been lost in her internal struggle of trying to hold back and restrain herself from touching Emma, from fucking her, and Emma's touch only made it so much harder.

She grit her teeth and tried to mentally signal to Emma for her to stay away, to leave. Her throat was too tight and dry and she felt like she wouldn't be able to get a single word out. "Regina, talk to me. What's going on?" Emma pried Regina's hands from her eyes and found the brunette's brown eyes had darkened heavily, almost to the point of being black. That couldn't be right. Emma had to be seeing things.

Regina couldn't hold herself back anymore, not when Emma was so close by with all her wonderful scents. She roughly pulled Emma towards her, burying her nose into the line of her neck and inhaling deeply. Emma was so warm and enticing in her arms and her fingers dug in to draw Emma deeper, to hold her all for herself.

And she smelled so wonderful, the pulse of her neck right under Regina's lips. All she had to do was open her mouth and Emma's sweet blood would be hers.

"Regina-!' Emma squawked out, shocked and flustered by the older woman's tight hold. They never touched, much less hugged like this. Something must really be wrong with Regina, but what? What was she not telling Emma?

_Take her. Use her. She's yours,_  hissed something inside Regina. It wasn't so much a voice telling her what to do than a general feeling. Regina had to fight it. She had to. But why should she when Emma was already in her arms, so willing and pliant and trusting?

_Not yours. Not yours._  She reminded herself, an endless mantra in her head.

_Just a little taste of her skin._  It told her.  _Just get a little lick. Taste what is yours._

And it would be so easy to do that, to suck her flesh into her mouth and taste the salt of it.

Regina let out a little whimper. God this was tearing her apart. She could literally feel her morals fighting with the lack of inhibition her vampire side had afforded her.

It was a battle of wills now and Regina would be damned if she would lose. She had the most practice with holding back her evil desires and she would do the same with this virus.

Through the power of sheer will alone, she pulled free of Emma's arms with a sloth like pace. She averted her eyes, shame coloring her cheeks. She couldn't believe she had just done that. Had hugged Emma. They never held contact like this.

Emma stayed put where she was, kneeling in front of Regina who was still on her chair. "What are you not telling me, Regina?" Her eyes were wide and searching but blank with lack of knowledge or suspicion as to the real truth. She had no idea to how close she had been to getting bitten.

But all Regina said, past a throat too tight was,"the water's boiling." And then she got up with as much decorum as she could manage and stepped around Emma, retreating to her study.


	7. Tired and Locked up

* * *

 

_I'm broken underneath/I'm getting sick of it all, sick of it all_

_-Sick of it all, 4th point-_

* * *

 

Regina's frustrated pants filled her bedroom followed by wet squelching noises. She had been like this for the past hour and a half, wrist now cramping up from the uncomfortable position it was in and sheets stained in a giant wet patch under her. Her fingers were pruning and she felt tired and dehydrated and yet not even more than a tiny bit stated.

She twisted her lips in defeat before pulling her hand out of where it had been buried intimately. This was irritating beyond belief! She had already orgasmed countless time but no matter what it only took the edge off of the boiling lust under her skin.

Ever since she had turned, she had been like this and she did not know what to do about it. The beast inside her hungered for Emma. A hunger she had never felt before for anyone. It was carnal and all consuming and it was making her skin itch with madness. Why did she feel this way? Why?

And how could she stop it? Before all this, she would have never dared to touch herself to lewd thoughts of her friend. But now it was the only thing that helped soothe the ache between her thighs.

Damn it. Would there be no respite from this?

Her body protested as she sat up, reluctant to leave the bed. But she couldn't stay here any longer. Pleasuring herself would not further solutions to defeating this virus and she knew that without Emma, the beast would not be satisfied. But there was no way she would subject Emma to this. She had more respect for her friend than that.

So, forcing herself to get out of bed, she used her magic to clean up her appearance. Next, she had to clean up her room. In a fit of anger at her situation, she had taken to trashing all her mirrors, in every single room. Glass sprinkled the floor like spilled jewels but she just couldn't bare to look at herself. At the monster she had become. But, no good would come from having a mess like this. From acting childishly. Whether she liked it or not, she was turned and she was the only one who could do something about this.

She needed to get herself together, pull her mind from the gutter and focus. She was strong. She could resist this.

An open breeze brought in a most delicious smell from outside. Before she knew it, she was at the window, black eyes peering out hungrily. A man was passing by the front of her house, whistling to himself, entirely oblivious to her. She could feel hunger gnawing at her belly, urging her to sink her throbbing fangs into his neck and drink until she was sated. Already her hands were scrambling to pull the window up higher. Could she get to him before the sun's rays hurt her? Her mind began to calculate the possibilities and chances of getting to him, dragging him kicking and screaming to her house before she slaked her thirst.

Emma wouldn't like that a voice told her and she let out a frustrated whimper. She would hate you for it. Don't break her trust like this. Don't revert back to your old ways. Regina couldn't tell which side was telling her this. Was it her human side? Or was it the vampire side? Either way her hunger was culled, frightened away by thoughts of having her precious Emma hating her.

She snapped the window shut and backed away from it, eyes wide in horror and chest heaving like she had run a marathon. She didn't feel the bite of broken glass on her bare soles until later and she shook her head.

She really needed to clean this place up and get her life together.

To focus better, she drew the curtains on every window in her house. This way she wouldn't be tempted to look outside and hunger for fresh food. She knew she could create synthetic blood with her magic and so she did so. She knew logically she had to feed herself to avoid weakening her resolve and snapping and killing anyone. Thoughts of a disappointed Emma held her back for now, but how long would that last for? She didn't want to take the risk and so with a couple of ingredients and muttered words over her cauldron, she whipped something up quickly in the basement of her mansion where she kept an emergency stock of potion making items.

The blood was disgusting. It was like sticky water and it tasted of old pennies. Her beast side loved it and swallowed it up greedily, rested for now. Regina hoped she could find a cure and quickly because she didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. Keep hiding this from everyone. Keep drinking this awful blood. Keep desiring Emma so much it hurt to breathe.

She was used to having tight control over her life and she hated feeling this out of sorts. At mercy to her own body. She was determined to make it through this trying ordeal. She had, after all, gone through worse. She needed to hunker down and study. She was certain she would find something. Maybe she'd use her enhanced senses to her advantage.

Just as she fetched some books from her study, her phone rang, making her jump. Emma was calling her. She practically lunged to grab the phone, needing to hear Emma's voice even if it was over the phone. "Hello?" she asked, sounding a bit breathless.

"Hey, Regina. How are you feeling?"

"A bit under the weather but better," she answered, not wanting Emma to worry over her. Or to suspect her of turning into a vampire. "How's everything in town?"

There was a reluctant pause here, as if it was about to bear bad news. Regina was right. "I was actually calling you to tell you we're missing the third queen of darkness. Ursula's gone."

"Gone? Are you sure?" Regina said, her eyes widening.

The queens were going missing.

"Yup. Checked everywhere. Nada. Zip. Nothing." Emma sighed out, worried and fearful. "Do you know why they're gone?"

"I don't know," Regina rubbed her hand over her forehead. "But keep a look out on them. Cast some trace spells. That way if one of them shows up, even briefly, then the spell will be triggered and point you to where they are. But do be careful. Please." Regina whispered at the end into her phone. She couldn't stand it if some harm came to Emma.

"I will. Why don't you help me cast the spells?"

Regina shook her head even though Emma couldn't see it through the phone. "You'll be fine. And I'm very busy with research right now. I probably won't leave the house until I'm done finding even a shred of what's going on. Call me if anymore vampires pop up, and for god's sake, don't do anything stupid." Regina would have loved to be by Emma's side but she didn't trust herself enough to be in public right now.

She knew there was a magic spell that could feasibly help with restraint but she didn't know too much on casting it, just yet. So until then, she was to be locked up here.

She hung up on Emma, though the beast inside her screamed to keep talking to the blonde, and turned to the boring books in front of her.

And the days of self imposed imprisonment finally bore fruit. Three days alone with nothing but her thoughts, and her newly minted mind processing information and sensations quicker than a human mind could, she had discovered a truth that had evaded them. Dusty tome after dusty tome, multiple paper cuts from turning pages, eyes blurring on text. Regina finally made a potent discovery. That the vampire affliction, that the outbreak, affecting thousands of people, wasn't real.

It wasn't a real curse of vampirisim. It was like someone had read the stories and then made a cheap version of it. A knock off.

It wasn't something nature could create, but that was man made so to speak. The only issue lay in discovering who had made it, how, and for what purpose?

Regina's victory at finding a partial answer was swept away by her need to find out more. But she was at a dead end. Books could only lead her so far. And so could human reports, which had become scarcer with time as the world found fighting for their lives more important than broadcasting news.

Regina plopped down onto her chair, sighing heavily and pushing her hair out of her face. She felt restless, the beast inside her crawling and pushing against her skin. It demanded her to go outside, get some fresh air, kill something or another, and then go see Emma.

Yes, if it was one thing that the virus had brought Regina, it was the inability to go more than an hour without thinking of Emma. And it was utterly frustrating. Her deep studies were often interrupted by thoughts of the blonde wearing nothing at all, her hands ghosting over Regina's body and lips descending down to hers for a kiss.

It was utterly frustrating because it was like a dam had broken on all the feelings Regina kept repressed on Emma. Had Regina truly liked Emma before all this happened? Or was it just the virus making her act this way? But then why would she be affected this way? When no one else had. All they cared about was feeding their gut. But when Emma was around Regina, blood lust wasn't even important. All Regina wanted to do was touch Emma, and have her over and over again until they were both so sore and spent they couldn't move a single muscles and even then Regina knew she still would want more.

Regina let out a growl and smacked one of the books to the ground. And here she went, thinking on Emma once more. It was utter madness, really. And she fears it more than she does anything else. Because unlike the blood lust that can be slaked, this need cannot and it grows bigger and bigger until Regina feels she will explode from it and possibly drag Emma down with her.

She doesn't want to hurt Emma. So she needs to hold on. She knows she can be close to a cure. Yes, think about the cure. She gets up from her seat and paces around, grinding her teeth to keep her fangs from throbbing.

All she knows is that the humans found this was genetic. And they had isolated the specific genome codes too. But fairytale creatures weren't genetic beings- they didn't have genomes. They couldn't, because they weren't real technically speaking. So perhaps the curse affected them slightly differently?

She tapped a finger to her chin. Hmmmm. Maybe just maybe...an inkling of a theory invaded her mind. She would need to speak to Whale about this and get his help. But for now, only she and he would know of it. She didn't need Emma finding out because no doubt, the blonde woman would not be happy with what Regina was about to do.

And that was another thing. Emma was going to get suspicious of Regina soon. Regina would have to go out there and act normal to fool her. She didn't need Emma knowing she was a vampire because she was certain it wouldn't end well. Emma wouldn't want her walking around town, or even helping in stopping the crisis, but Regina knew she could do this, that there were ways that magic could help her control this beast until she reverted the virus.

There was always the risk that Regina could be entranced by someone's blood and attack them, which was why she would cast spells on herself to make sure she could prevent that from happening as best she could.

Going down to her potions room, she took a couple of books on self control spells and got to work on concocting one for herself.

When Emma showed up later that evening with food for Regina once more, she found the mayor looking healthier than ever. Her skin was glowing, there were no bags under her eyes and she was smiling, as opposed to looking pained like she had every time she saw Emma.

"Wow, did something good happen? Because you look very...happy," she said, setting down the root beers and salad she got for Regina. The woman had been eating better too, though not in front of Emma. Emma would have to take Regina's word on it, because each dish would disappear by the time she had come back.

"I've made good progress on my research," Regina announced, tentatively taking the root beer and opening it. She took a small sip and seeing it was okay to do so- no riotous pain at it-, took another one.

"And what did you find out?" Emma asked.

"Nothing that I can explain to you just yet."

"Is this 'cause you think I might have a hard time figuring stuff out? You know I'm not that dumb." Emma set her hands on her hips, unhappily.

Regina scoffed playfully. "Your parents are the Charmings. I wouldn't be too sure." But in a more somber manner she said, "It's missing a few pieces from it making utter sense, but as soon as I figure everything out, I will let you know."

"Alright," Emma would have to content herself with that lacking answer for now. "The search on Ursula isn't going well. I can't find her either and it's really worrying me because she and Mal could be vampires. Yet, I haven't heard a single word on any attacks going on, so it makes me worry: what are they up to?"

"It's possible they've gone into hiding, or left the town entirely," Regina offered.

"But why would they leave the town when there's an apocalyptic going on outside?"

"You're forgetting they could have used a bean and portal hopped to another dimension."

"I hadn't considered that. But they would really leave Cruella like that?" And then wouldn't they cause problems for the other worlds? Emma's head was beginning to hurt. Right now they couldn't do anything about that. She and Regina needed all their attention on this front, the home front.

"Villains aren't known for their sense of friendship, Emma. Relationships are born out of necessity and not because we like each other."

"So, basically you make a girl group because you wanna kill this one person?" Emma asked.

"In a way, yes," Regina said, though it was clear from her face that she was losing focus, thoughts deep on something else. Her eyes had slid down Emma's body and were resting on her chest. Emma found that odd, though her heart rate picked up at it. Was...was Regina checking her out? No, that couldn't be.

"Hey, you alright?" she leaned in and Regina snapped back, as if afraid to be too close to Emma despite the fact that a desk separated them. "Yes. I, um, I'm fine, just lost my train of thought," Regina said, blinking rapidly and sitting back in her seat.

It was starting again, and Regina was annoyed and feeling helpless at the sensation of her body heating up hungrily to Emma's presence around her. Regina had implemented some spells on herself. One to mask her appearance so she looked more normal despite her skin still being pale and her teeth being sharp. And another to dampen the instincts and wants battling inside her. It worked well, hunger in the back of her throat only a distant thought. And she had hoped it would work when she was around Emma as well, but whatever the spell had targeted in controlling about the blood lust did not apply to regular lust. And slowly it was creeping back, with greedy fingers, peeling her apart.

She bit her bottom lip as a particularly violent shudder ran through her insides as her eyes could not help but trace over Emma's breasts, making the faintest of indents in her shirt.

She needed Emma out of the house. Now.

"How about dinner's at Granny's?" she asked, voice slightly tight. She was already getting up. "I have a few more books to scour and then I'll join you there."

Emma stood up too, a bit taken a back by the abrupt dismissal. "Uh, sure. Should I bring Henry? He misses you."

Regina shook her head. She wouldn't risk having Henry there in case worst came to worst and she snapped. Emma narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Regina, not wanting Henry around? How odd.

"I want to talk about vampire matters; there's no need for him to be there. I wouldn't want to scare him," Regina explained when she noticed Emma's look.

Well, that made sense, Emma surmised to herself and then nodded her head in agreement. "See you there."

The slam of the door allowed Regina to let out a sigh of relief. Was she going to react this way every time she was around the blonde?

She rubbed her forehead in worry and then hurried down to her basement so that she could do some more work on those restraining spells.

She finally emerged onto the streets of Storybrooke, with tentative fear. She felt paranoid, like everyone would take one look at her and just know she had turned. She knew it was silly to feel this way, but she couldn't help it. It kept her guard up and her nerves humming at full percent.

It was dusk now, so it was safe for her to walk without burning or becoming pained. Everything was louder than normal and her restraining spell was put to the test as heartbeats played in her ears, as rushing blood through veins called to her. She had fed before leaving just in case and though she could feel the beast inside her stirring with want to kill, it wasn't an overwhelming urge. She was certain she could make this work. No. She would make this work. It was her job to protect her town and those she cared about.

She made way to Granny's diner, the smell of greasy food making a lump of disgust stand in her throat. The whole purpose of this outing was to trick Emma into thinking she was okay. That she hadn't changed into a vampire.

She couldn't help from being jumpy, however. She was worried something could trigger her, or that someone else would notice. But so far, nothing of the sort happened. She sat in the booth, observing her surroundings. Her enhanced senses really were a marvel. She would hear conversations across the diner if she wanted to and everything was rich in color and detail even the plain gray tiles.

Ruby approached her, and Regina could literally smell the wolf hidden under the young girl's skin. It smelled like damp fur and bloody teeth.

It did not sit well with her vampire side which growled out in frustration. Regina tightened her muscles to prevent herself from leaping up and lashing out at Ruby with sharp fingernails. But Regina wasn't the only one strained. Ruby was too. Though she looked more confused by it. "You smell different," she said slowly, brows furrowed.

"Are you saying I stink?" Regina tried to play off playfully but inside was holding her breath. Could Ruby smell the beast inside her?

"No," Ruby shook her head, eyes still glimmering with confusion. She rubbed her nose. "No, I think my nose is just acting up funny from doing Granny's knickers in the laundry."

"What you'd say about my knickers?" Granny called out, her sharp hearing catching that.

Ruby stiffened. "Nothing," she assured in a sweet voice. She pulled out her pad and put pen to it. "So what will you have? And I'm guessing you're meeting Emma?"

Regina relaxed a minuscule. She was safe, for now. But she would make sure not to go to the diner again. It was too risky. "Yes, she's running late. Get her one of those deplorable grilled cheeses she likes so much. And just get me something to drink. I'm not really hungry."

Ruby left with the orders and a second later the door jingled open.

Oh. As Emma strode into the diner, Regina didn't know that she had a thing for uniforms until now. On Emma it looked almost skin tight, emphasizing the gluts and biceps she had, and those miles and miles of weapons she called her legs.

Regina's body was a sudden inferno and the beast inside her was roaring awake.

"Why are you wearing an uniform?" Regina managed out of a throat too dry after she had stared at Emma with ravenous eyes.

"Uh, because I've been utilizing the units and making them do some heavy leg work in order to find Mal and Ursula?" she said, scratching the back of her head, confused by Regina's reaction. She sat down in the seat in front of her, frowning heavily when Regina continued to stare at her, conflict written all over her face. And something else. Something hungry.

"Regina? Are you okay?" Emma asked, noting with concern the brunette's flushed face and the way she had her hand pressed against her mouth to stifle the moans that wanted to come out.

Regina nodded her head weakly yes. But no, she wasn't fine. Nothing was fine anymore and she couldn't understand why. She clenched her thighs as closely as she could but it didn't help. She could feel a trickle of her wetness escape the confines of her underwear and bead down her leg.

"Regina?"

Leave me alone! Regina hissed in her head, trying hard not to panic and failing. She had to get out of here. But she couldn't get up and leave in the state she was in. The blonde stood up and leaned across the table, hand out to touch Regina's forehead for temperature and Regina knew that the touch would crush her. So she teleported away back to her house, leaving a confused Emma mid motion.

She made it to the foyer, leaning back heavily on the door, gasping for air. What the hell was that about? She hadn't even made it more than ten seconds with Emma. There was a pulse of magic nearby and Regina knew that Emma had arrived on her front porch. But the blonde was too courteous to use the magic to force her way in.

"Regina, what's wrong? Speak to me," Emma's demanding but caring voice came.

Regina wanted so badly to open the door and launch herself into Emma's arms but she held herself back, grinding her teeth hard and nails sinking into the wood of her expensive door.

"I'm having a hot flash," she explained, trying to make her voice sound as steady as she could. "And I'd appreciate it if I could be alone for this."

Silence on the other end, but Emma hadn't left yet. She could smell her through the door. "Alright," was voiced reluctantly. "But if you need help-"

"I don't. I just need some alone time," Regina urged out harshly and finally, the pulse of magic signaling Emma teleporting away sounded off. Regina sank to the floor and took in deep shuddering breaths, trying to tame the monster inside of her that was screaming at her for letting Emma away. It wanted Emma to come in and take care of them. Regina feared to let the beast loose on Emma. She knew all too well the debauched things it wanted to do to the sheriff.

Regina stayed there, on the floor, until her persistent arousal finally drove her upstairs to her bedroom for some much needed relief.


	8. Paranoid Minds

* * *

_I see it in your eyes_   
_You're feeling paranoid_   
_You know just what I've done_   
_You know what I've become_   
_I feel it deep inside_   
_With all the pain & lies_   
_I know just what I want_   
_I am an animal_

_-Cage the beast, Adelitas way_

* * *

Regina promised herself she would avoid making physical contact with Emma from now on at all costs. Only strictly communicating with her through phone was allowed. Of course, Emma noticed Regina's sudden ardent avoidance of her and would not let it go, bugging the mayor about it constantly. She would magic herself into Regina's professional and personal work spaces and Regina, in her blind panic to escape the rapturous hunger in her for the blonde, took to poofing away just as quickly. This lead to very not so amusing chase scenes across the town where they kept poofing from location to location (once on the roof of the clock tower) until Emma in fits of confusion would give up, only to later lay traps for the unsuspecting queen.

Though, with Regina's enhanced vampire senses, it wasn't hard to foresee them or avoid them which only pissed Emma off more. It would have been comical in any other situation other than this one.

And this was the way things were for a solid week, the amount of running and being on high alert for Emma's tricks and traps lent to Regina not being able to conduct any research or talk much to Whale about the experiments needed to prove her theory. And she was certain her theory would be right, though it would bring her no joy to be correct.

And then there came a time when Regina could no longer avoid Emma any longer. And it was because of the accursed monthly town hall meeting where all government officials had to meet to discuss changes needed, and good plans that had been incorporated that had worked so far. Regina had conveniently forgotten to remind Emma it was today in hopes the woman wouldn't come. It was a foolish hope for the woman managed to find out about the conference and sit down only three seats away from Regina.

Regina had cranked the AC up in the room so that she wouldn't smell human blood. The cold had a way of neutralizing her senses and of making blood smell duller to the beast inside her. But, it also had an unforeseen consequence.

The conference room was cold and Emma's nipples were hard, two dots of perfection straining against the flimsy white tank top she dared to call a proper shirt (and had irritatingly worn to this meeting). Emma rubbed her arms, cursing the fact she hadn't dressed warmer, unaware of the fact of what kind of show she was giving right now to one sharp eyed brunette. She hadn't been expecting the AC to be blasting like crazy in this room. She'd have to complain about it to Regina later. She knew it was the summer but still...this wasn't an icebox. They weren't hunks of meat to be chilled this far.

Maybe now that she and the mayor were forced to be in the same room together by government rules, the brunette wouldn't leave before Emma could get her two cents in. Had she done something to offend the mayor? Was Regina mad at her? That could be the only explanation as to why she was avoiding Emma so pointedly.

But while Emma was cold Regina felt like she was burning up. From her spot at the end of the table she was transfixed by Emma's image. The way she'd breathe out and her breasts would be thrust forwards, hardened nipples on full display. She couldn't help it, running her tongue over her lips as she imagined just what she would do to Emma's nipples, arousal flaring to life between her legs as her thoughts ran wild. She wanted to bite them, suck on them, twist them between her fingers- a loud pencil drop made Regina startle from her thoughts.

Emma had been fidgeting with her pencil out of boredom and to stave off the cold by form of distraction, and ended up dropping it. Her torso disappeared from view as she dipped down to find her pencil. She snapped back up within seconds, placing it back by her paper and trying to focus on the man lecturing on about new garbage truck pickup routes. But Regina's mind had raced off like a roller coaster gone mad onto another less than appropriate thought. She could see it in her mind's eye. Emma had dropped her pencil except it had rolled all the way under the table. That was only a ploy, because Emma would shoot back at her a devious grin and crawl under the table under the pretense of looking for her pencil when she was looking entirely for something else.

She'd make her way between Regina's legs on hands and knees, pulling them as far apart as the skirt in the fantasy the mayor wore would allow. Her palms would be warm against Regina's knee caps, hot breath ghosting up her thighs.

"Emma," Regina would hiss in reprimand, careful so she wouldn't raise the awareness of the others around them. But the blonde would only smirk hard and lean down to lick a long path from the inside of the mayor's knee up to the hemline of her skirt, before diving in face first, teeth tugging on the wet material of Regina's panties and pulling them down with a snap, as her fingers wrapped roughly on Regina's hips, pulling her in closer, stomach pressed against the lip of the table.

_Oh, no,_  Regina groaned to herself in the present, as she felt her skin flare up. She was boiling in her own flesh now, about to cook from desire. The cool air of AC unit blew cold air on her skin, but it did nothing to stop the bead of sweat from rolling down the back of her neck. She knew she shouldn't do this; shouldn't even entertain the thought of it, but she had to. She shifted her legs only to hear a wet squelch; a literal pool of wetness had gathered between her thighs.

It wasn't the first time she had gotten this wet and this quickly and she began to get concerned for her health. Could she get dehydrated from all this? Another concern for another time. She had to do something about this arousal, but she wouldn't make it to the bathroom, her legs were shaking too much and what if she had a wet mark on her pants? She couldn't go up like that. She knew in the back of her mind that these were all weak excuses, but the infection had left her rational mind descending into animilistic reasoning especially around Emma.

She only had a split second of control left-trying to talk herself out of doing it, because if she got caught she could never live this down- before she cupped the apex of her thighs over her pants with her right hand anyways, looking up to make sure that everyone was paying attention to the man up front. They were and even he himself was too far away from her to notice her, enthralled in his work.

She let her fingers trail down to her soaked pants- fuck, she had soaked them this bad already?- and without preamble began to rub back and forth as discreetly as she could, her eyes flickering open and shut as she bit her lip hard to keep her gasp at bay, free hand gripping the table in a white knuckled grip. Cracking an eye open to watch for if anyone had noticed, she sighed in relief before resuming her fantasy.

Emma's tongue would be teasing, flicking light touches over Regina's clit and the brunette would squirm in her seat, wanting to tell Emma to hurry up but unable to without drawing attention to herself and her current predicament. Instead, she lightly kicked her under the table, right in the ribs. The resulting gust of surprised air would blow over Regina's core and send tingles right up and down her back.

Emma would then enable a vice like grip on Regina's ankles, holding them down with her hands before leaning back in and blowing a stream of cool air into wet heat. Again Regina shivered.

Emma pressed her lips to the darker woman's thigh. "You like that don't you," she mouthed. Green eyes gleamed in challenge from under the table and Regina rolled her eyes. "Either get on with it or go back to your seat," Regina quickly wrote down a note on a scrap piece of paper and handed it down to Emma. The woman looked at it before curling her fingers, demanding a pen to write a response with.

Regina hastily handed her one, before hearing her name getting called out. "Madam Mayor, what do you think of this?"

She gave a somewhat satisfactory answer given how she hadn't been paying attention for the last ten minutes and had to hastily look at the slides to get a clue. Given how the man nodded his head before finally moving on, she had passed and it was safe to say she wouldn't be called upon for a good amount of time. Everyone's eyes slid away from her as she feigned interest, feeling like she had left Emma to her own devices for too long. She was just about to look down when she felt something long and hard slide into her without warning.

She half jumped out of her chair, banging her knee of the table.

"Are you okay?" Sidney looked over at her and she nodded her head tersely before settling back down, eyes fixed on the powerpoint slide. Once it was safe to look down, she shot Emma a glare. The blonde only smirked back at her.

Then she reached a hand in between Regina's legs and began to skillfully move the pen back and forth. Sneaky little vixen. So that was what she wanted the pen for.

Even only midway through her day time fantasy and Regina knew she was close. She could smell it on herself, feel it in the way her walls were clenching around greedily wishing they could be clenched around something for real and not a product of her mind. Her lips were clamped iron tight, killing most of the sounds of pleasure that crawled up her throat, neck veins bulging. It was harder to mask the occasional squeaking of her chair as her hips rolled in it, or the sounds of her slick heat coating her fingers. White was gathering behind her eyes; it wouldn't be long.

With one last desperate grind, palm flattening into her crotch, she shoved her fist into her mouth and bit down hard, eyes squeezing impossibly tight as she rode out her orgasm silently, body shuddering in great heaves and tears leaking free onto her notes. It seemed to stretch on for forever and when it was done, she opened her eyes and removed the fist from her mouth, noting that she had left angry looking bite marks. God, she felt so much better after all that.

The lights went on all of a sudden and Regina snatched her hand free from her pants, wiping the stickiness on the side of her pant leg that had seeped through her thick material. People were looking at her for a cue and she cleared her throat, her voice still going out husky regardless. "That concludes today's meeting. Break for lunch."

They looked a little surprised at the abrupt ending but didn't question it, instead packing up their stuff and going on their way. She waited impatiently for them to go, the coldness of wetness now sitting between her legs like a guilty reminder of what she had done. She couldn't believe she had just jerked off in the middle of a meeting. That was so irresponsible. So low brow and unfitting of her status as mayor, a position that required her to be responsible. What was wrong with her? She could have gotten caught!

No, it wasn't her fault. It was just every time she was around the blonde, she started feeling this way. Hot and heavy and out of control of her own body. She really needed to start avoiding the woman, for her own health and sanity.

And of course the blonde in question had to linger behind just as everyone was gone. "Hey, Regina," the woman started, getting up and walking to her and turning the full power of her hard nipples on the brunette who felt her traitorous body heat up again. Emma needed to put those things away before Regina did something she would regret.

She forced her eyes closed, but still the images of two perfect round nipples burned in her mind. "Yes, Emma what is it?" she said in as even of a voice as she could muster, looking over at her notes. There were smudges were her tears had fallen.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Emma asked, getting right to it. She didn't have the patience for Regina ignoring her anymore.

"Emma, I'm not-"

"Quit the bullshit. You are."

"I'm busy-"

"Not true," Emma cut in.

Running out of options, Regina floundered. "I'm mad at you-"

"Stop lying to me. This whole time you've been lying to me and I know you have, and you know I know that you are. So I'm giving you a chance to tell me the truth." Emma was leaning in as Regina sat back, desperately trying to avoid looking at Emma's chest. It was right there, and it was so tempting. Emma smelled, so tempting. Regina bit the inside of her cheek, trying to pull herself together before she reached over the desk and crashed Emma's lips onto hers.

"Emma..." she croaked out of a dry throat as Emma noticed the mayor acting oddly and leaned in more. The mayor only leaned back more, squirming in her seat and pointedly looking at her notes while her hands were clenched.

Why was Regina behaving this way?

Then Emma looked down at her shirt and saw why. "Oh. Um, sorry," she mumbled out, suddenly embarrassed. And crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't mean to flash you."

Regina relaxed a bit at this, her shoulders lowering. "I'm just tired. With the changes and all," Regina answered in a low voice, still not looking at Emma as she got up, taking her pad with her and placing it over her crotch.

Emma didn't detect a lie in that. But she tipped her head to the side. "This about the menopause?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Regina said brusquely as she began to brush out from the office. Emma followed after her, grabbing her by the wrist. "Hey," she said softly as Regina sharply turned to face her. "We don't have to talk about it. But if it makes you feel better, you'll still look banging hot even as a grandma."

Regina smiled at that, shaking her head in amusement. Emma would never cease to amuse her. Her words helped to take Regina's mind a bit off of her predicament, but there was no way she could let Emma know what she was now. She was determined to finish or fix this before the blonde would ever find out.

"Thank you," she said and Emma let her go.

But as she watched Regina leave, she rubbed the fingers of her hand together. The one that had been on Regina's wrist. Regina's skin had been deathly cold and worst of all, there had been no pulse underneath it. She gulped, Whale's words coming back to haunt her.

Something had happened to Regina and Emma needed to figure out what. Though, an overwhelming portion of her already knew what. She just didn't want to think about it.

But, she would need to confirm it because for better or worse she needed to confront this. If her friend was in danger she was going to do everything she could to figure it out. To repair it. After all, wasn't that what a savior did?

She'd get Regina to eat or drink something and that would give her all the answers she needed.

With grim determination, she strode off.

* * *

Emma invited Regina to Granny's diner. Lately the mayor had been avoiding this spot and on the rare occasions she was here, she barely ordered anything, just fidgeting with her water or tea. And then of course, she was racing off, avoiding Emma during their period of cat and mouse.

Now, though, Emma had given Regina an ultimatum. That Regina had to come meet her in the diner and that was final. Regina had tried to bullshit her way out of it of course but Emma had shot down every lie.

"If you really aren't avoiding me as you claim to do so, then prove to me you're not. And if don't want to talk about the changes going through your body we don't have to and won't. I swear I'm not going to bring them up," Emma had steely uttered out and hung up on Regina before the mayor could protest.

And then she had left to the diner and waited there, glancing ever so often at the watch on her hand as the minutes ticked by.

7pm hit and left and Emma began to suspect Regina wouldn't show up. The woman was very punctual and it wasn't like her to be late. Emma's hands wrapped around her root beer as she glared with precision at the door. Every time it jangled open her hopes were raised only for them to be dashed once more when it turned out not to be Regina.

"Waiting on someone? A date perhaps?" Ruby asked, coming to stand by Emma. She had noticed the antsy state of the sheriff and wanted to find out why.

"No. I'm waiting on the mayor. She's late."

"That's not like her," Ruby commented.

"I know," Emma quietly agreed. She was itching to call the mayor but decided to hold off. She'd give Regina ten minutes more and then she would call it quits.

Ruby leaves to attend to some orders and the minutes tick by. It's on the last minute that Regina finally strides through the doors, looking nervous and fidgety to be here. She slides into the seat in front of Emma.

"I didn't think you'd come," Emma commented. She knows Regina must have been warring internally in a debate on whether to come out not and that her sense of responsibility forced her here.

"Well, here I am," she tried to say with an airy attitude but she couldn't pull off the easy smile. She looked like she wanted to bolt from here. The mayor's poker face was leaving a lot to be desired. Emma wondered what was the bothering the mayor so much. But she knew directly asking her wouldn't do anything or get them anywhere. So she didn't delve further into it.

Ruby came by, pad and pen ready. "What can I get you?" she asked the mayor who shook her head.

"It's alright. I won't-"

"Get her a coffee only," Emma interjected, knowing Regina was going to avoid ordering food.

"Alright," Ruby said, and she had a look on her face like she had smelled something weird. Regina watched as Ruby left, a contemplative look on her face. She knew Ruby suspected her of something. And as she watched with keen eyes and sharp hearing she made out snippets of conversation.

"Regina...smells weird," Ruby sighed, rubbing her nose. "Why?"

"She smells like something from the Enchanted Forest. Like one of our mortal enemies," Granny said gravelly from behind the counter to her granddaughter. "Something needs to be done." As she says this she looked right into Regina's eyes, words filled with menace, and the mayor felt a shiver roll down her back.  _Wolves,_ her vampire instincts told her.  _Kill, kill, run, run._ She was torn between fight or flight. Would they do something to her? She needed to leave.

She slowly turned her attentions to Emma. "I really don't need the coffee from here. It tastes watered down. I have a perfectly good Keurig at home-"

"Well, I ordered it already. No use in wasting it," Emma said, trying to infuse as much seriousness into her voice as she could. And it was because it was a serious thought that ran through her head. Regina could sense this and the unease radiating off of her only doubled. She clutched her hands on top of the table, the knuckles turning white.

Ruby came by with the cup of coffee and placed it down in front of Regina before hastily retreating.

"Vampire," came huffed out, under Ruby's breath. Too quiet to be heard by Emma, but Regina heard it.

They knew. The wolves knew. And wolves and vampires were mortal enemies. She needed to stop them from knowing. From telling others. But how?

Her skin prickled to retreat.

To fight.

To pierce the flesh on Ruby's neck and taste her dying breath.

She struggled to draw her attentions back to Emma. For once, her mind was not obsessed with her in the normal manner. Right now, she registered as a threat to the beast inside Regina.

"So, Emma, here I am. What is it you wanted? I've proved to you I don't hate you by showing up to your impromptu meeting. Now, if you don't mind I'll be leaving so that I can focus on office work." Regina got up and Emma reached for her wrist, tugging her back down. Regina's skin was cold and still no pulse beat underneath her flesh.

Regina reluctantly sat down, taking in a shuddering breath. Her feeling of something bad, of being trapped, only increased.

_Leave!_ Her vampire side hissed at her.  _Leave now!_ But she couldn't, without arising more suspicion. Emma stared at her hard. Was it possible...that the woman suspected her?

Had she given her intelligence less credit than she deserved?

"Here. You haven't touched your coffee," Emma nudged the cup of cold brown liquid towards Regina, her eyes watching the woman suspiciously but trying to come off as something else; as causal.

Regina knows this is a test. A test she cannot fail. She eyes the drink, dreading it. It's funny how she used to love it so much before and now it disgusts her. It smells like shit and looks like it too. Her shaking hand wraps around the Styrofoam as she gathers her resolve. Who knew drinking a cup of coffee could be so stressful? She smiles wanly at Emma and lifts the cup to her lips, trying to hold her breath.

The liquid slides down her throat like thick sludge and she manages to get through half of it before she sets down the cup down harshly and pants heavily to regain her breath.

"You haven't been eating lately. I'm worried for you Regina."

Regina smiles but its weak. "It's just the stress of all that has happened so far. But I'll be fine." But she's not fine and her stomach twists painfully and it's all she can do to hold back the bile rising up her throat as she tries to normally walk towards the restroom. "Excuse me, I have to use the bathroom to freshen up before we go."

She barely makes it to the stall, retching into the toilet on her knees. All the coffee comes back up and she immediately feels better after she flushes it all down, wiping her mouth with some tissue paper. The relief only lasts a short while because this action is irrefutable evidence that something is very, very wrong with her. And she knows it, and so does Emma.

The bathroom door clicks shut as heavy boots slowly approach Regina as she stands up to see, unexpectedly, that Granny is there. Her face is hard and she's got a shotgun in her hand.

"Regina."

Her name drops from Granny's lips like stones, and she feels the rocks gather in the pit of her stomach. The shotgun gleams menacingly in the fluorescent light and she can't bare to see her own reflection in it. Pale skin and eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.

Granny's hold on the weapon tightens.

And Regina panics. Not for herself, but for the other woman. She doesn't want to hurt her. "Granny, please."

Voice soft. Broken.

There is a banging on the door. "Regina, are you in there. Open the door!" It's Emma, knocking on the locked door.

Regina feels like her throat is too tight to voice anything anymore. Fear holds her still. There is no compassion in Granny's eyes. And now she begins to fear for herself.

"I knew I smelled a filthy blood sucker in my shop."

Granny slides the barrel of the gun slowly towards Regina's collarbone, face impassive, and fires.


	9. The Beast Underneath my Skin

* * *

_This burden came to me and made it's home inside/I've turned into a monster and it keeps getting stronger_

_-Monster, Imagine Dragons_

* * *

"Shit, was this really necessary?" Regina hisses once the black spots stop dancing in her eyes and the pain of the bullet fades to a dull throb as her new body heals itself, spitting the bullet out into the hand that is clenched to the now ruined shirt. The shot had violently pushed Regina into the back of the stall, splattering the tiles with her blood. She clambers up awkwardly, having miraculously avoided plunging into the toilet water by the grace of her nails digging into the steel of the stall and indenting the metal enough to hold on.

The only thing that hurts more than this shot is betrayal. How could Granny do this to her? How could she try to kill her?

"I had to make sure," Granny says in soft wonder, eyes round, watching as Regina heals without magic. She knows this was a risky move, and she knows she's pissed Regina off given the full on curse word first thing out of her mouth, but honestly, Granny's more interested in keeping her diner and her family safe. She doesn't know how Regina came to be a vampire but she's sick and they need to do something about this.

"Hey, what's going on in there? Did I just hear a gun go off?" Emma is knocking on the locked door and then all of a sudden the door is blowing off it's hinges due to magic when no one answers her.

"Everything is fine, Emma," Granny reassures, eyes never leaving Regina. "Just dropped my gun and it went off." But Emma shoulders in and see's Regina's hurt in the bathroom stall, blood on her hands and chest.

"What the fuck!" she turns on Granny, anger rushing through her veins like a freight train. She stands in between Granny and Regina whose still coughing as the pain of the bullet ricochets through her.

"I had to do it, Emma. She's one of them. One of the vampires. We need to deal with her." Granny is unapologetic, features of her face hard.

"And what if that had killed me, then what, Granny?" Regina is spitting and furious because she's just been outed and she wasn't planning on that happening. She was never going to reveal being a vampire to anyone. "Or was that your intention? What if I hadn't been a vampire?" She might as well say the word, might as well admit to the dirty little secret out loud.

Granny raises a hand in a placating manner. "It wasn't going to. And  _I_  wasn't going to." An important distinction.

"You need to leave, now," Emma says through gritted teeth, almost shaking with rage.

"And let her go free?" Granny sputters. "Do you have any idea of how many people she could have hurt?"

Emma is too riled up to think about that. All she knows is Granny has hurt her friend and she wants her out of here. She waves her hand and the shot gun metal twists in Granny's hand and falls to the ground, useless. "Leave and let me deal with this, my way," she hisses, voice so low it hurts to speak.

Granny nods her, figuring she has crossed a line, a line she still won't apologize about. "Be careful," she urges and then leaves the bathroom. Emma is breathing heavily, trying to calm down. Neither her or Regina say a word until finally the sheriff manages to relax an inch and turns to face Regina.

"Regina. Why didn't you say anything?" Emma asks. She's not blaming Regina for anything. Not yet. She's just mad Regina didn't trust her to tell her this. Haven't they been through enough to have trust between themselves?

"You think I could?" Regina spits out. "I have a town to run, and people to protect."

"You're infected!" Emma suddenly cries out and her words ring harshly in Regina's too sensitive ears. "Fuck, you're a fucking vampire. What are we going to do now?" The realization hits Emma like a ton of bricks to the stomach and panic is already creeping in on her, making her start to hyperventilate because  _what the fuck does she do when her best friend and Henry's other mother is a fucking vampire?_ She can't lose her. She just can't. She doesn't want Regina to be turning into a vampire. Doesn't want her to succumb!

"Preferably you won't shoot me again," Regina said, her chest still throbbing where she had been hit.

Emma's face sours at Regina's ill timed humor. "How are you going to protect people if you are one of the greatest threats right now! A vampire, with magic!"

"I have it under control," Regina hisses and she knows she doesn't. She's barely holding it together. Barely able to stop the pull of thirst that burns her throat and the roll of her hunger that heats between her legs. Emma is here and she is too close to her and that's like waving a steak in front of a pack of starving wolves. She needs to leave this space, get some fresh air.

Anger, she needs to use anger to keep her mind from these urges. "I have magic. I use it to restrain myself."

"God," Emma shakes her head. Disappointment pooling in her eyes. "I can't believe you didn't tell anyone about this. So what if you have magic? It won't stop you from feeling those impulses. How long has this been going on?"

_How long have you been lying to me?_

That's what Emma's eyes say even if her mouth doesn't and no, Regina refuses to feel guilty about keeping this hidden.

"Not long after Hook's imprisonment. I probably caught it from him, that filthy no good-"

"Have you hurt anyone?" Emma cuts in impatiently. "Have you?"

"I am offended by that-" Regina grits her teeth, because Emma of all people knows that Regina would never willingly hurt someone anymore. She's one of the 'good guys' now.

"It is a legitimate question, Regina." And God, Emma hates accusing her friend but she has every right to, every right to know because Regina's a fucking vampire and now a threat to the town she so swore to protect.

Regina sighs, puts her wounded pride aside. Crosses her arms across her chest for moral support. "No, I have not. Like I said, under control." But despite all her efforts to understand Emma's interrogation, there is still an edge to her voice that says 'fuck you for not trusting me, for making me say things that should be blatantly obvious'. Emma picks up on that but decides to keep most comments to herself. She'll chew Regina out later; right now it's about facts, about how dangerous Regina is.

"Then what about...the blood drinking?" Emma says lowly as if afraid to speak those words. Has her friend sucked anyone dry? And who? And when? And wh-

"I've been ignoring my urges. I haven't drank from anyone." And there is honesty in that voice, with a thick spread of pride. Regina does seem to have the infection under control and Emma briefly marvels at how that is possible where everyone else has fallen. Maybe Regina's not really a vampire? The hope is short and dies in a quick flicker. No, the gun shot proved Regina's otherworldly nature. So...was she simply different? A different form of vampire because she had magic?

Admiration flashes in her eyes and Regina feels like she doesn't deserve it given the way she has hidden her secret in cowardly nature. "You can do that?" Emma wants to know how so she can tell Hook how to do it. So he can become more in control of himself.

A barb is waiting on Regina's tongue of course. "I'm not some weak willed Hook-"

"Seriously, you can stop at the digs on him," Emma narrows her eyes, protective. "He's my friend and I care for him a lot even if he is a blood thirsty vampire. Just like I care for you, despite the fact my best friend was hiding this secret from me."

Regina's heart thumps faster at the term of endearment. "It's a reflex," she mutters which is the most apology Emma will get on Hook's treatment.

"So what are we going to do now?" Emma asks, because she still doesn't have an answer to this and her mind is drawing blanks.

They can see Granny peeking her head in, Ruby behind her. They're trying to see if Emma's fine but she doesn't need this right now. She and Regina need more privacy. "We'll talk about this in my house." And Regina poofs them both away.

They arrive in her living room. Henry's at Mary's so it's just the two of them, with no threat of inquisitive minds interrupting. Regina makes sure to station herself across the room from Emma because even though her control has held her for so long, she doesn't entirely believe in herself to not leap onto Emma's neck if she continues being right in front of her. Emma rubs a hand over her mouth, other hand in her back pocket as she walks a small circle back and forth in front of the couch there.

Emma's brow is furrowed up which means she's thinking hard, and the gesture, one so simple and banal makes Regina's heart swell with fondness while her loins swell with something lustier. Already she's about ready to drip down her legs and it hasn't even been a full ten minutes with the savior.  _Fucking shit,_ she curses in her head because this is a situation certainly deserving of foul language. Can Emma not do anything remotely unattractive in regards to the beast inhabiting Regina's body and poisoning her mind? Because, really? This shit is getting old.

"Are you still going to be mayor?" Emma asks at last and Regina breathes out because Emma's not asking her why she didn't tell her earlier with accusation in her eyes and sadness tugging down the corners of her lips. This is something Regina can handle.

"Naturally. In such a crisis the townsfolk need a strong leader now more than ever."

"But you're a vampire," Emma points out as if Regina was slow.

"I thought we already covered that," Regina said behind clenched teeth because she resents that name, resents being one.

"How can you lead the town, protect it, when you're one of those...those things?" Emma runs her fingers through her hair now, eyes slipping closed in frustration. "As sheriff it's my job to make sure the town is safe, and that includes you too Regina."

The mayor's heart stops at this. "Don't tell me you intend to imprison me. I have done nothing for you to indict me. I have not drank any blood, have not hurt anyone, not even Henry, and he was here for a good while before I sent him away."  _Therefore I am undeserving of such a fate._ This reeks too much of being a victim in the plot of Archie's death. Emma had turned on her then, but she had thought they were beyond that. That their bonds were greater.

"All I have is your word. And fine, you've got great control. But you sent Henry away, which means you're not utterly sure of yourself, which means-"

"I sent him away so I could focus more on my work. So he would not be plagued by worries about a vampire apocalypse happening right here. I didn't want him to know, and if he stayed here any longer than he would have found out." Regina says quickly and quietly and it's a good answer but Emma can detect the hint of untruth running behind it.

She decides to humor the mayor. "Okay, fine, but what if, and don't tell me it won't happen, what if you  _do_  slip up. Lose control to the virus? It's going to happen sooner or later-"

"I'll have cured myself by then," Regina insists in confidence with gritted teeth, hating how Emma is drawing her into a small corner from where she cannot escape. She feels like Emma is peeling away her options, her aspiration to ending this virus. "This is the exact reason why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you would doubt me. I knew you don't fully trust me. You're just like all of them, waiting and watching for me to slip up so they laugh at my failures and shortcomings, say I'm never going to change, that I can't change, that I'll always be disappointing!" Regina's yelling now and tears are pressing at the backs of her eyes. She didn't expect Emma's lack of certainty in her to be so painful.

Emma's face is pensive. So that was why Regina didn't tell her. She thought Emma would turn on her, would think her incompetent. "I didn't mean to...to make you feel like I don't trust in you. Heck, you've withstood this for so long...you've withstood a lot of horrible things for so long. But everyone breaks, even the strongest, and I don't want you to go this alone." She rubs her hands together, tries to stop from fidgeting with them. "I wanted to be there for you. I want to help you get through this. You know I don't care what kind of monster you are. Evil Queen, Overbearing Adoptive Mother, Bitchy Boss, or Vampire," Emma adds a bit of her humor in to take off the edge of her words. "Or what kind of monster you  _think_  you are. I'll still be your friend. So let me help you. I want to be there for your so called failings and shortcomings, and not just for your victories."

Regina's heart squeezes in her chest, and she fears Emma's words may just kill her for all their magnanimity. She could depend on Emma. She could. And what had she done to deserve this? Absolutely nothing.

"Just don't keep important things like this from me, expressly if they relate to this apocalypse situation."

Regina nods her head, lips tight, but relieved. "Okay." She's so happy Emma hasn't turned from her, hasn't tossed her into jail. Emma was going to believe in her. It meant the world to Regina to know this. Not many did, so even the support of one made such a huge difference. Yet, she's tentative with this support, scared of losing it.

"Good," Emma rocks back on her heels unsteadily, not sure where else to go with this conversation. "So uh, how's it like being a vampire?"

Regina is thankful for Emma's levity. "How do you think?"

Emma shrugs. "I dunno. A lot brooding and pining for the human days?" At Regina's sour look she shrugs again. "Twilight was like that."

"Whose Twilight?"

Emma chuckles at Regina's confused face. "Not who, what. A popular teenager book series about vampires who sparkle."

Regina snorts at that, starts to feel like she can relax once more. She doesn't need to defend herself from Emma and her allegations. They've smoothed things out. "Vampires don't sparkle."

"Then what do they do? Transform into bats? Go around saying 'I vant to drink vour blood?' " Emma improv's a bad Dracula accent, complete with her pointer fingers hanging down from her upper lip. Emma's loosening up too, because she can do this, she can handle Hook turning into a vampire, but she refuses to lose Regina to this disease and she will do whatever she can to help her.

Regina laughs because it is so  _Emma_ to crack jokes about something as serious as this. Emma could be missing a leg and she'd still make jokes about it.  _Guess where this one legged savior is working? Ihop!_

"They actually existed prior to this wide spread eruption of them," Regina says and it's mesmerizing to listen to her voice. She casually walks over to the window, peeks out through the curtains keeping the light out. "Creatures of the night with bone white skin, ghastly teeth, and the agility and ability to over power almost anything thanks to their enhanced strength and senses. There weren't many of them, most hunted down by humans in the late 12th to 13th century, prior to when the humans started picking up witch burning, and so the numbers are even lesser today. They stick to small covens, in towns or wilderness where they are free from humans eyes."

"So vampires actually existed before all this? I just thought it was mother nature fucking with us, being all like 'haha, let me pull a quick doctor Frankenstein and construct this nightmare of a sickness and dump it all on you with no cure'."

Regina shook her head no, turning to look at Emma once more. "They did, which is so surprising that something like this erupted. Vampires are careful. They wouldn't spawn so many younglings. Its against the laws of their survival. And the symptoms of the virus and the curse of vampirism are different though they share many similarities."

Emma tips her head in curiosity, urging Regina to continue. "I've read up on some ancient books that I have with me, and the symptoms of a traditional vampire, the signs of their turned nature are different. Actual vampires can walk in sunlight, though it is draining to them and can weaken them to do so for long. Additionally, they pose the ability to transform either into bats, or wolves, or dogs. Not to mention they have powers. Like the power of compulsion or manipulation of weather. These new vampires don't have any of that. Though both species can be killed in similar ways, these new vampires are weak copies. They cannot even control their blood lust which a traditional vampire can."

"So what does this matter?" Emma frowns. "Scientists named this virus a vampire virus but it doesn't mean people are actually turning into vampires." Emma's brain has decided to skip over the mind boggling possibility of real motherfucking vampires in order to keep her mind from shutting down due to inconveniences such as, motherfucking vampires.

Regina shakes her head and immediately feels dizzy. She hasn't eaten at all today her synthetic blood, and taking into account having to heal a full bullet wound at close range, she's not feeling too well. "I'm not sure yet, but I know I'm onto something. It has to matter. If only I could talk to some real vampires myself...I'm sure things would be cleared up..." she rubs her forehead inconclusively and catches herself swaying before she heavily sits down.

"Regina, are you okay?" Emma's making strides towards the armchair and Regina raises a hand to pause her, to prevent her from coming closer. She can hear Emma's heart pounding in alarm and she can't have Emma any closer or else she can't guarantee the state of the blonde's neck. Regina's mouth is churning venom from hunger and all she can do is envision a tall glass of blood, sides steamed from how warm it is.

"I'm just...the bullet took a lot of healing, and I haven't been eating human blood which my body needs," Regina admits.

"At all?"

"Not a single drop from the moment I turned," which was an impressive feat considering how damn tempting it was.

This makes Emma feel guilty. Granny had shot her friend- admittedly, Regina wouldn't have confessed to being a vampire if Emma simply asked- when she was weakened. Emma wanted her to feel better. Wanted to amend things that had been done in haste.

"You haven't eaten in days. You must be starved," Emma surmised, seeing the flicker of interest in Regina's dark eyes at the mention of food. The brunette was hungry. Desperately so. Her throat burned like it was stuffed with lit coals. But it was more than that. Her insides twisted and churned and it was like a constant furnace going on there, the occasional wetness slipping free and down her thighs.

Emma watched as Regina's face contorted in pain as she tried to clamp down on the wealth of need the blonde's words had drudged up. Emma rubbed the back of her neck, unsure of her words. All she knew was that she didn't want Regina to suffer anymore. She was sure there was a cure. There had to be one. But in the meantime..."What if...what if I let you drink my blood?"

Regina's head snapped up, her pupils dilating as Emma's offer sunk in. Her fangs felt heavy in her mouth. She could already envision it. Sinking her teeth into Emma's soft neck, red crimson flushing her mouth as she drank deeply. Feeling Emma's heat underneath her lips, the thudding of her pulse as her heart pumped furiously.

And then the softness of her skin as Regina's hands ripped her shirt open and began their exploration, brushing nipples and ribs down on their way to between the heat between Emma's legs.

She realized she was shaking with anticipation and that venom was pooling in her mouth again as the throb between her own legs began to pick up. She couldn't do it. It was wrong. It was  _wrong_ , wrong. With great effort she turned her head away and breathed in deeply, counting to ten, her knuckles white as she griped the cushion edge.

"You don't want it?" Emma asked softly, misinterpreting all this.

"I do," blurted out of Regina's mouth. "I want it so much, but..." but Emma didn't know that if she offered Regina her blood, Regina was going to take something else, something intimate and significant from Emma. And she wouldn't do that to Emma. To anyone. No one deserved that.

Emma looked pained. She could hear the need cracking Regina's voice, see the way she tried to restrain her trembling. "But what? You think it will hurt? I can handle a little pain."

"It's not that, it's," Regina licked her lips, trying to find a decent way to pose this. "I'm  _hungry._ "

Emma furrowed her brows in confusion. "Exactly. So what's the issue?"

Regina tried to hold back the growl of frustration from spilling out. "Emma, I want to  _eat_  you."

"Well, duh. Don't all vampires do that to people?"

"How obtuse can you be!" Regina threw out her hands in exasperation, throwing her words angrily at Emma. "I don't only want your blood from you Emma."

Still, realization was slow to dawn on the blonde's face. "Not only my blood...do you want to eat my flesh too? Is that a thing vampires do?"

Regina was one second away from getting up and hitting some sense into Emma...with her lips. How could the blonde be this slow?

"I want to fuck you, Emma! Long and hard and rough!" Regina had gotten up from her seat without even realizing it, striding towards the blonde who took a surprised step back and then another until Regina had backed her up against the wall. "It's all I can think about day and night, and it's worse than the blood lust. I want to fuck you so hard you won't be able to sit down for days. I want to fuck you in dozens of different ways. Want to..." Regina trailed off with a lusty groan when she saw how close she had unconsciously gotten to Emma. The blonde was breathing quickly, chest brushing chest, and it only served to excite Regina all the more, her nipples straining the fabric of her bra at the accidental touch. She planted one hand on the wall behind Emma's head, the other one tangling unbidden into blonde locks. "Want to make you mine," she breathed out, pressing her forehead against Emma's, drinking in the sweet scent coming up from her and letting her eyes drift closed.

They stayed like that for a while, Regina's body raging with unspent arousal and Emma in shock.

"Ohh," Emma let out a shaky breath at last, breaking the moment. "I-I get it now." She was flustered. "So you don't want to drink from anyone because you get- get sexually aroused."

Regina let out an displeased sigh. "No, Emma. Just you. I only want to be intimate with you."

"Ohhhhh," another shaky inhale. A long pause. Regina refused to open her eyes, worried of Emma's reaction. Will she look disgusted? Probably. But Regina couldn't help the monster she had become. Her outside now matched her inside. "Uh, I um, wow. We should probably talk about that?" Strong hands grabbed at her upper arms and pushed Regina away and she opened her eyes to see that Emma's cheeks were flushed red and she couldn't maintain eye contact with Regina, her voice high in pitch.

"Is that supposed to happen when you become a vampire? I thought they only wanted blood?"

"I don't...know," but Regina knows and as she sits back down on the couch to give Emma some space to breath, she rubs her upper arm uncertainly, feeling the heat of Emma's last touch. She knows where else she wants Emma's touch and damn it, she will not submit to these teenage hormonal impulses this infection is giving her!

Regina had gone and talked to Hook about this. About if he felt any...less than pure intentions towards Emma.

"Less than pure intentions?" the man had asked, somehow managing to look derisive in the way he lay on his cot, arms crossed behind his head. "Do you mean, do I want to sleep with her?"

"Yes, that," Regina had said blandly, disgusted by the thought of Hook so much as suggesting him and Emma to engage in intercourse. For some reason her homicidal tendencies towards Hook were amplified. She had the urge to rip his head right off of his neck.

"Of course I have. We dated. It would be odd if I did not."

That wasn't the answer she wanted or needed. "I do not mean that. I meant...once you became a vampire did you feel a surge in these thoughts or feelings?"

"My, is the majesty wondering if I get horny?" Killian sat up, his eyes sparkling with mirth. At this he tapped his nose. "Because I can smell how much you are."

Regina could feel a blush burning her cheeks. She had forgotten how sensitive vampiric smell could be. She crossed her legs tighter as if that would do anything; all it did was further aggravate her throbbing. He merely chuckled at her discomfort.

He took three steps towards the one way mirror, leering down at her through them as if he could see her on the other side. She tried hard not to shift in her chair to give him the satisfaction of seeing her uneasy. "As far as I know, your majesty, becoming a vampire does not involve becoming horny for Emma. I think that's an issue between you and her that needs to be discussed." He shoots her a toothy smile and she wants to break every last tooth in that smile. Of course he knows she's turning too. Damn vampiric sense of smell. "But do try to hurry. I wouldn't mind having a bunk mate. It does get boring here."

She gets up, trying to remain prim and proper. "Don't count on it."

As she is leaving he calls out behind her, "You can't fight this Regina, not with magic and not with the sheer power of your will alone. This disease isn't a curse; it isn't a spell. It's science and biology. You have to stop living in the world of fairy tales and think rationally." He flops back down onto his cot. "But when you do turn fully, snag me some of Emma's blood will you? She smells exquisite."

She slams the door shut and tries hard to not think how he's all too right. She cannot even be mad about his comment on Emma's blood, because she wants nothing more than to taste it her herself.

"So what do we do now?" Emma asks quietly, breaking Regina free of her reverie.

Regina shakes her head, at a loss, but making her voice hard. "I can handle the blood lust and the sexual drive. I do not need your pity, or your help."

Emma scoffs and says something that Regina is not entirely expecting. "Are you crazy? What kind of a savior would I be if didn't help you. You're in pain. You're starving yourself! How would Henry feel if I let his adoptive mother die?"

"I think he would be fine. I've truly become the monster he's seen me as these past months," Regina said bitterly.

"That is not at all true," Emma gets down on her knees, holds onto Regina's hands. "You're not a monster. Not yet. We can still find a cure."

"You are too optimistic," Regina says softly and slightly breathlessly because Emma is on her knees in front of Regina and there is no shortage of times that Regina has imagined this exact scenario. "Henry does not love me. He loves you. That is why you cannot be around me, do you understand?" Regina draws in a shuddering breath and tries hard to stop her hands from twitching and pulling Emma into her. She wants Emma's face buried between her legs, tongue delving inside. She clamps her legs shut and Emma notices this.

"What are you thinking about?"

"About you tongue fucking me," Regina says honestly because at this point she's already told Emma this much and maybe this will convince Emma that she should stay away from her.

The blush is back on Emma's face and her mouth feels dry as she attempts to speak. "Regina-"

"I can't, Emma. I am a mess and you need to stay away from me until I figure out a way to stop this." Regina pulls herself up from the couch and paces by the curtained window, eventually stopping to grip the chair by her with a white knuckled grip. It pains her to admit that she is less than perfect right now, barely teetering on the edge of control. "If you don't I will hurt you. I will...I will  _fuck_  you." Regina didn't want to force that on Emma.

"What if...if I didn't mind," Emma said softly and timidly, something dark in her eyes shining.

"What?" The chair snapped under her hands in shock. Then she caught it. The scent of Emma's arousal. It sent her stomach into such a tight twist that she almost doubled over with need, barely holding it together. A whimper came to life behind her lips but she clamped down on them, praying that she would be able to hold herself together at the same time she prayed for Emma to destroy her.

"I mean...you're my friend, and you're hot...it certainly wouldn't be the worst thing, to, you know," Emma kicks at the ground, bashful all of a sudden, "sleep with you. Scratch your blood itch too, if you want. I want to, I mean, it's not like I've been dreaming about sex with you, just, it's, uh, something I specifically can help with, and you're clearly in pain. And I don't...I don't want you to be. And if I can do something to help you," Emma stutters, blushing furiously, pauses and then licks her dry lips. Regina's eyes follow the pink appendage before it disappears behind words again. "I'll do it."

Something surged to life in Regina and her restraint finally shattered. It was like a dam was breaking and out came pouring all that Regina had been holding back. She didn't even think to question why Emma was okay with sleeping with her. Her body ran on the primal instincts of a vampire, having to take and conquer what was now declared hers. She just slammed right into Emma mouth first, tossing her up against the wall so hard there was a loud smack. Emma let out a low groan at her now throbbing head, but it was covered up by Regina's moan of pure ecstasy. She would have been embarrassed by the wanton quality of it if she was in her normal state of mind, but right now she was too elated; mind falling under a fog of lust as she gave in to her base desires.

Oh, how she had longed for this for the longest time.

It had physically hurt her to be so separated from Emma, to hold back. Had felt like a piece of her was missing, and now with Emma's sweet lips on hers it felt like that missing piece had been returned. She felt whole.

She kissed frantically, hungrily, trying to taste all of Emma's lips, hands in a vice like hold on the blonde's hips. She was panting heavily with desire, feeling like every nerve in her body was on fire, like it was telling her to get even closer. She had waited this long, she would wait no longer to have what was hers.

Emma could feel herself being overwhelmed by the kisses. They made her head spin; they were never ending and she needed air. "Re...gi...na," she said between puffs, trying to push the brunette away so she could inhale. This was intense, way more intense than she had expected, and it was all going so fast. She didn't want Regina to regret this later, to feel like she had pushed Emma into doing this, because holy hell, Emma did not mind the way the mayor had fallen apart, given in to her wanton vices. It had been too many times Emma had dreamed of this, hand between her legs, and now the reality was happening.

"Give me a moment." But pushing Regina's mouth didn't discourage her. She only lowered her lips and began to pepper wet kisses up and down Emma's jaw and neck. All Emma could do was throw her neck back and hold onto the brunette's shoulders as liquid heat settled into her stomach.

The pulse pounded under the thin skin at Emma's neck, the promise of sweet blood right underneath it, but even that certain thirst could not draw Regina out of her lust. She needed to feel more of Emma's soft warm skin under her hands, so with a low growl she tugged the jacket roughly off of Emma's shoulders before losing patience for respectable undressing and ripping the shirt off of Emma by the front of it, getting the bra off in the process as well.

Emma let out a loud gasp of shock as buttons and shredded material joined the mess on the floor. "Regina!" Emma was indignant. "That was one of my better shirts!"

Regina merely responded by licking a trail down the valley of Emma's breasts to her defined stomach, stopping on the button of her jeans as she ran her hands over flawless flesh- there was no time for foreplay. Regina was ready to drink from Emma now, and it wasn't her blood. She fisted her hands on both sides of Emma's thighs, gripping denim material.

"Don't you dare-!" Emma warned but with another resounding rip and harsh tug from Regina's hands, the jeans were ripped off.  _Rip those off,_  Emma finished with a sigh. Though she would be lying if she didn't find the usually composed mayor losing control of herself to be excitatory and heady. She was sure her excitement was dripping down her legs right now. And given the dark look in Regina's eyes as she got down on her knees-how many times had Emma wished to see the Queen down before Emma like that- between Emma's thighs, she noticed. Regina could feel herself salivate; she had only fantasized about this thousands of times before and now it was happening. She breathed in Emma's delicious scent of arousal deeply, rubbing her own thighs unconsciously together. A fire had settled there, demanding to be doused out with caresses, but Regina ignored it; Emma was more important. She wanted Emma and her pleasure more than her own pleasure.

Predictably the underwear Emma wore was torn to shreds as well before Regina delved right in, impatient. There was no gentleness to the action and Emma let out a long hiss as her back arched off of the wall and her eyes slammed shut at first touch. Her hips began to grind in response, chasing after every tongue stroke.

Regina ate like she was starved, taking every inch in greedily; ravishing until Emma stood on shaking thighs, Regina's strong hold the only thing keeping the blonde up. Regina was moaning in appreciation at Emma's taste, loving how sweet she tasted and Emma's own moans rose in volume as she got closer and closer to the edge. And Regina wanted to go deeper and deeper, reaching in as far as she could with her tongue. She could feel Emma's walls began to contract and tighten around her appendage, the blonde's wetness spilling down her chin.

All it took was one last stroke from Regina's skilled tongue and Emma was yelling and coming, holding onto the head between her thighs as she ascended heaven and made her way back down on weak legs and spent lungs. Still, Regina didn't stop, letting Emma ride out her orgasm on her tongue, and cleaning up the sticky mess left behind eagerly.

Too sensitive from her first orgasm, Emma quickly mounted up into another one within minutes, this time bending in on herself as she shook and moaned a litany of Regina's name. She felt tingly all over and like she could just float away on the clouds.

The heat between Regina's legs was unbearable right now at seeing Emma's state, but she didn't want to stop. She wanted Emma to fall apart and apart and apart...she was  _hers_  and she was going to make sure the blonde knew it with the very core of her being.

"Regina. Regina..." Emma panted, face twisting up in pleasure again. Rough hands dug into brown hair. "That's...you need to...stop, I'm too sensitive," she half moaned half groaned.

Regina merely growled possessively, the vibrations from that translating into heat once more, not ceasing in her endless and persistent licks and Emma could feel her stomach coil once more with the threat of reaching another high.

"Regina. Regina," she tried to keep her voice even and continued trying to pull Regina away from her slit. Regina growled again. "Mine. All mine," she reverently hissed before nibbling on Emma's clit, causing the sheriff to collapse into her third orgasm of the hour, it weaker than the rest as her body screamed at her that she had had enough. Tears entered the corners of her eyes from over-stimulation.

She wrapped her shaking fingers deep into Regina's locks and pulled with all the strength she had before dropping down to the floor on aching legs. She was thoroughly sore between her legs; a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. She looked on at Regina with tired fondness. The mayor's pupils were blown wide and her hands were already crawling back to Emma's hips where bruises in the shape of fingers were formed on the sheriff's pale thighs. Emma was smeared all over her lips and gently with the back of her free hand, she wiped it away before leaning in with a soft kiss.

"Mine?" Regina questioned, looking lost, brows upturned. She didn't understand. Was Emma not satisfied with her efforts? The vampire in her demanded to make up for the mistake.

"Yes, all yours," Emma whispered soothingly against the brunette's plump lips finding this look of uncertainty and need on her face endearing, along with the sudden possessive behavior. Was it a vampire thing? "Let me show you how yours I am."

Then she laid Regina out on the floor, kissing her all the while undoing her buttons on her shirt slowly. Emma didn't want to ruin the mayor's expensive clothing. The mayor began to squirm impatiently, hands circling up to Emma's shoulders. "Patience," Emma said and took to kissing down her neck and then the jutted rise of her collarbone, and the soft mounds of her breasts peeking out of the cups of her bra once the shirt lay opened. One hand traced down the curves of her waist and cupped her mound right through her black pants. Regina hissed at that and ground down in appreciation.

"Shit," Emma groaned out. "You're so wet." The brunette had soaked right through to her pants. "Is this because of me?" she asked, tracing a finger lazily over the inseam on the crotch of the pants.

Regina merely nodded her head as she squirmed harder, hands pulling at Emma's blonde curls. Deciding she shouldn't tease the brunette because Emma was supposed to be helping her not feel this way, Emma slid the pants off along with the mayor's panties, a pair of black lace ones.

Ruby was going to owe her ten bucks on that. Emma was so right on what the mayor wore underneath.

She traced her fingers up from Regina's thigh right up to her slick center. She was able to slip two fingers in right away and Regina's head thunked hard against the wooden floor as she gnawed on her bottom lip to hold back the strangled cry that almost made it out of her throat. She was already so close from eating out Emma that she knew it would be embarrassingly fast before she reached the edge. But as Emma moved in and out of her slowly and curling her fingers after each motion, she realized she didn't have anymore strength to deny this long awaited release. She had already denied herself of the pleasure of having Emma before, she wasn't going to now.

So she closed her eyes and let it happen, rocking her hips with gusto into Emma's palm. "More," she demanded and the sheriff added another finger, putting her whole arm into each thrust, causing Regina's hips to slide up on the floor with each movement.

"More," she still hissed and a fourth made it's way into her. She felt so full of Emma, wanted Emma to break her, wet slick noises filling the air with each harsh thrust, and the muscles on her stomach grew taunt as her grip on Emma tightened in impending release.

Emma was surprised when Regina's body twitched with a huge jerk and her mouth opened wide in a heavy moan of pleasure and relief. Her fangs glinted, sharp and pointy and it was the first time Emma had seen them. They didn't look monstrous like they did on other vampires. But cute.

Emma watched in fascination as Regina came down, lids fluttering open and Emma saw the change in them. Her Regina was back. They no longer had a wild look to them, full of insatiable hunger, but held intellect and the spark that was her.

"So?" Emma asked, voice low in the aftermath of their screams and moans. And she didn't know what she was asking with that question.  _So, what do we do next? So, are we still friends? So, we pretend this never happened? So, was I good? So, would you do it again?_

She had just had sex with her best friend in town and the realization was just settling over her, a blanket of shock and WTF, wiping away the tingling feeling of what they had just shared, which in Emma's opinion, was some of the best damned sex she'd ever had.

Regina looked around, a bit disorientated. She recalled her conversation with Emma before a fog descended upon her mind. Slowly the memories of how she had gotten on the floor suddenly half naked with a fully naked Emma on top of her and in her hit her and she let out a long sigh, throwing an arm over her eyes in shame.

She couldn't believe she had lost control of herself like that. Had called Emma hers. She only hoped the monster in her was satisfied now. She hoped to never have to resort to using Emma like that again. To having to use her best friend for things Emma didn't want. She cared for Emma too much to have to force her down such a path.

"Get off me Miss. Swan," she said, trying to keep her voice even and emotionless despite its hoarse quality; trying to put distance between them by using that moniker. Her lips felt dry and when she went to lick them she could still taste Emma on them; sweet and citrus-y. She shivered in delight at the taste.

"Uh, sorry," a suddenly flustered looking Emma, quickly pulled out of where she had been buried in deep inside Regina and the brunette let out a sudden moan at the motion, hips bucking up to chase retreating fingers before Regina could control herself. "Sorry," Emma muttered again, rolling off Regina and trying to cover her chest with her hands as she got up. She tried to hide the disappointed look on her face but it was hard to, when Regina's dismissal of her stung.  _Ms. Swan. It's back to that, again?_  She picked up the ruined remains of her clothes, intent on getting out of here before making things worse. Was Regina regretting all they had just done? Rejection rooted in Emma's heart and she felt the urge to hide gnaw at her bones. It had felt so nice to be called Regina's. To be wanted by someone so openly. Usually that level of commitment was frightening; Emma would have run. But with Regina...

With a low sigh, Emma gave up on trying to pull her shirt on; it was ripped open and would not be covering anything. "Uh, hey, I don't suppose you could give me some of your clothes, could you?" Emma hated how shaky her voice sounded. She had thought this would mean something more...that her feelings would get through to Regina. But it didn't matter in the end. Only the vampire part of Regina wanted her.

Regina had gotten up, wincing at the wet and sticky sensation of her pants and underwear as she pulled them back up. The scent of sex hung heavily in the air, seeping into their skin and Regina had to remind herself to take small breaths because she could feel an unsteady throb pick up between her legs again. "I did that?" She looked on in astonishment at the clothes and sighed, answering her own question before Emma could. "Of course I did. I didn't mean to. Follow me." She indicated for Emma to follow up the stairs, trying hard not to think about how irresponsibly she had behaved. What if Henry had come in? It would have been a terrible thing for him to see Regina practically tearing into his birth mother. Curse Emma for even offering such a thing in the first place. It had weakened all of Regina's resolves, making her act this vile way. This wasn't how the first time between them should have gone.

Wait...did she want a first time between them?

She tore herself out of her thoughts. No, this was only because of the infection. She didn't really feel that way about Emma did she? She distracted herself by throwing open her closet and picking out a nice blue shirt and some black pants for Emma to wear. "Here," she tossed them at her, afraid to look at her while she changed because everything was just so exposed and Emma's pussy was right there and she could just get down on her knees again and all she really wanted was to dip her tongue in, get a small taste really and-

Regina curled her hand into a fist, letting the nails bit down hard to stop those thoughts. Panic was flaring up in her along with desire. Wasn't this supposed to be over? Wasn't she supposed to have gotten it all out her system? Why was she feeling this way again? It hadn't even been five minutes! She felt sick with despair at the all too tormenting feel of arousal rising in her veins. She refused to believe it could be back.

The final zip of the zipper told Regina that Emma was done dressing. Meaning it was safe to look.

Wrong.

Seeing Emma wearing her clothes, just lit a possessive fire in Regina and she could feel the beast's rumble grow in her chest.  _Minemineminemine_ , ran in her mind.

Emma was unaware of all this again, looking herself up and down. These clothes smelled heavily of Regina and had been one of the first outfits Emma had loved on the brunette. Had Regina purposely picked this out for her? "I guess it'll be good for now. But I'll have to teleport home so people don't ask questions about why I'm dressed like this. Oh, and you still owe me for a new bra and panties. Those were my good ones."

Emma looked up at Regina whose hand was splayed against her collarbone, rubbing gently, as her eyes took in Emma, took in the human covered in  _her_ clothes, marking her openly as  _hers_. None of her words had just registered with the mayor.

"Regina?" Emma questioned, not noticing the way Regina's eyes had darkened again as the inner vampire reared it's head. Her words brought Regina striding closer to her, big powerful predator like steps, and suddenly they were kissing again, Regina gripping Emma's face between her hands, kissing her so hard and tight that her fangs were pressed up against Emma's teeth, both of them crashing into the wall behind them.

"Jesus, Regina!" Emma exclaimed when the mayor removed her lips and placed them on Emma's neck once more, pressing hot kisses there. "What is up with you!" The back of her head was in pain, again. Was this being pushed into walls going to be a reoccurring thing?

She really couldn't understand the woman. One moment she was desperate to fuck Emma, than she was cold to her, trying to kick her out, and now she was trying to fuck her again!

"Stop this. We aren't doing this again. I have more dignity than that." Emma huffed, pushing Regina off of her. She wouldn't let Regina treat her like that. Wouldn't let her heart be filled with hope, with a connection only brought on by two people being intimate with each other, so that it could be crushed by the realization that Regina was ashamed of her, of having touched her like that.

This time it was easier to bring the brunette back to reality as the beast hadn't come fully back out. She gasped in shock when she had realized what she did and looked her hands like they weren't her own, backing up from Emma until she hit the wall on the other side of the room.

"Go." She whispered hoarsely. "Just go." She was trembling and looked to be scared of her own self.

Emma nodded her head. "We have to talk more about this later." Because she was damned if she would Regina suffer through this alone, even if Emma's own feelings would get hurt. Then she poofed away.

Regina hated this. Hated this so much; this inability to be in complete control over her own body and needs. She was always the one in control. In control of the kingdom, of the town, of the people, and even of her own self. And now, it felt like her grip on everything was shaking, especially the one on herself. She hated herself for doing that to Emma, but she still couldn't stop herself as she slid down the wall and undid her pants once more, going to finish the job that apparently even Emma couldn't finish.

Thoughts of the blonde wearing her clothes and walking around town, having people like Snow and David see her in them, fueled her frantic and desperate hand motions as she pressed harder and harder into herself, trying to reach and find the spot in her inner most sanctum that would finally satisfy her.

By the time she was done, her pants and underwear were ruined beyond salvation. And she still wasn't any closer to being satisfied.


	10. Still Need You

* * *

_Still Hungry_

_-Adelitas Way, Still Hungry-_

* * *

Regina doesn't sleep the night after she fucks Emma Swan. Emma Swan who is Henry's birth mother, the town's savior, and Regina's closest, dare she say,  _only_  friend.

It's all so fucked up, the situation they are in and none is more aware of this than Regina. She didn't mean to push Emma away so rudely, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want to tangle her feelings for the blonde sheriff with this thing this monster made her. She didn't want to ruin her feelings with such impure carnal actions.

But even as she stands by the window, staring sightlessly into the streets as the dark turns to light gradually, the thing inside her crawls and craves and leaves her panting in near pain sometimes from the force of it. She tries and refrains from touching herself again throughout the night, her bed a crumpled mess as each time she finishes and goes to stare out the window, trying to convince herself not to leap out the window and show up at Emma's door.

It's a disease, a sort of madness that has her very soul and body and heart chained. All she can think of is fucking Emma in every way possible imaginable. And she just wants this to stop, but she doesn't because it feels so very good and right and she wants it so bad it hurts to breathe at times. It's unbearable, the weight of needing Emma crushing her, making her feel like nothing without her. She  _is_ , nothing without her. Nothing but an empty shell, dark and dank and Emma could be the light to warm her up, to fill her with colors if only Regina could have her, could indulge in her once more.

No, its madness combined with addiction. An addiction to being mad. She craves the insanity of need overwhelming her and each time she slips and indulges in what corrupts her mind she comes out, fighting it valiantly and vainly, yet only wanting to yield to it, to have more of it. And she ends up slipping up again and again, more intentionally each time than the last until her addiction becomes the defining feature of who she is, of what she can only be. She is constrained by it, commanded by it, motivated by it, and it takes the fact that she knows Emma won't like this that holds her back. She doesn't want to hurt the object of her twisted desires because no matter how deeply she has fallen, she will not take Emma down with her. The beast in Regina knows, has a sort of impulse to keeping Emma happy. It would never do anything to upset her.

And so because of this, and until Emma gives Regina the go ahead, all the mayor can do is bite the inside of her cheek, clamp her thighs shut and pray she won't lose more of herself than she already has to this thing she has become.

...But those are brave words. Courageous effort. Because in the end, she caves. Caves maybe within an hour of making that declaration.

And she hates how physically strong but mentally and emotionally weak this vampire curse has made her. Throwing on some clothes she leaves her house in a hurry, her feet desperately taking her down a familiar path while her mind and insides churn in tandem.

* * *

Emma awoke to a ringing doorbell at six in the morning. Groaning and cursing whoever it was for this unholy hour, she rolled out of bed and trudged down the stairs, turning the lights on as she made her way down. It was still dark in her house, that's how early it was, so whoever it was better have a damn good reason for waking her up, like a freaking cyclops invasion or free pizza. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yanked the door open, about to give the person on the other end some of her mind when she saw who it was and choked on her words.

"Regina?"

The brunette shot her a pained look, eyes tinged with naked lust dipping down to Emma's bedtime outfit of a tank top and boy shorts. They stayed down there a long time before Emma snapped her fingers. "Hey.  _Hey._ I'm up here."

Regina jerked her head back up with some effort. "I'm sorry, it's just..." She bit her bottom lip, tips of her fangs poking out and making her look sultry. She cast furtive glances up and down the empty street to see if anyone else was around before lowering her voice. "It wasn't enough," she admitted in a choked gasp, unable to meet Emma's gaze for shame, and beginning to shake visibly like a drug addict in a withdrawal. She drew her arms around her shoulders as if she could stop the tremors rocking her body. "Last night wasn't enough."

"What are you? A sex depraved teen?" Emma ribbed, because she was overwhelmed by Regina's open admission, by her desperate state. Regina was never forthcoming with her inner most workings. To be open like this meant something serious. Was she asking for more? After she had kicked Emma out so rudely before? Made her feel like it had all meant nothing? Like it hadn't been the best sex Emma's had in years?

"It's not funny!" Regina hissed, because yes, that's how she was feeling right now but ten times worse. It was like last night hadn't happened for her body. And here she was running back to her addiction, begging for more.

"Sorry," Emma apologized.

"God," Regina ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I hate myself so much. I hate  _this_  so much. I just-"

Emma couldn't stand the pain on Regina's face. She cupped it gently with her hands and Regina finally looked up at Emma. "It's fine. It's going to be okay." She ran her thumbs over red stained cheeks. "I'll help you. But on one condition: you don't dismiss me like you did yesterday." Emma couldn't stand having her dream come true only for it to mean nothing. At least she wanted Regina to act like it meant something.

"I didn't mean to. I was just...confused...and worried I'd hurt you and-" Regina tripped over her tongue to inspirit Emma's fears.

Emma slid a finger to shush her. "Less talking. Let's take care of you first, okay?"

Regina's shoulders sagged in grateful relief and she closed her eyes as she exhaled. When she opened her eyes again her eyes were dark black and filled with unrepressed beastly hunger.

They poofed up into Emma's bedroom in purple smoke. "Let me at least get you into bed this time," Regina said, voice strained, feeling a hint of guilt at her rough handling of Emma last time.

"Hmm, that would be great." To be fair, Regina could take Emma anywhere and the blonde wouldn't be mad. Emma hummed as Regina began to suck on her neck right next to the collarbone. Emma had instantly gone from 'I could sleep for a century' to 'I could skydive right now', Regina's touch skittering over her shoulders, to her chest, to her torso, to her backside, as if it was uncertain what it wanted to touch more.

Regina was more controlled this time, compared to her actions last time. It must have had to do with how now that she had gotten the first fuck out of her system, she had a bit more control over herself.

Or at least it felt that way for about all of ten seconds before Regina grew frustrated with her body's own indecision about what to touch and she hefted Emma up, the sheriff wrapping her long legs around the brunette's waist as she walked them to the bed and threw them both down. Regina landed on top and with complete disregard for her own expensive wardrobe, which showed how far gone she was, ripped her shirt and jacket off in two jerky motions. Underneath she was missing a bra, revealing perfect mouthwatering breasts, nipples hard.

"You've been hiding these bad boys from me all this time, teasing me with them," Emma said as she grabbed a handful of flesh in each hand and began to knead them, enjoying their heavy weight and warmth. Regina merely groaned in answer; Emma had forgotten that when Regina got like this, she wasn't much of a talker. She leaned in to kiss Emma again and their mouths clashed in battle, tongues sliding against each other, tasting each other, as Emma tried to slide a leg in between Regina's. The woman placed a hand on Emma's knee and held it still before pulling away and leaving Emma's hands feeling empty.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked breathlessly, getting her answer a second later as Regina's hand tore the blonde's panties off revealing glistening wetness. "Oh! There." Emma gasped out as Regina's lips descended on Emma's nether lips.

Both hers and Regina's moans mingled together at the contact and Regina began her job of probing every inch of Emma's wetness with her tongue, lapping up the juices that flowed free, not letting a single drop go to waste.

Tasting Emma was just as amazing as it had been last time, and Regina felt like she could live forever off of the taste. She didn't need blood; Emma filled her up completely, making her warm inside. She closed her eyes in enjoyment, fingers in a death grip on Emma's thighs.

Heat snaked up, arching along the dance of Regina's tongue, infecting Emma until she was left gasping and panting and writhing and tugging at Regina's brown hair painfully.

Regina's head game always went to her head. And she wasn't even aware it was her screaming until she came down from the mountain she had just climbed. Surprisingly, this time Regina didn't need to be coaxed from in between Emma's thighs. She sat up, mouth wet, clear substance having dripped down her collarbone. She slowly licked her lips, fangs showing, as Emma watched and  _fuck_ , it wasn't fair how hot she looked right now. "Mine." This time Regina's statement was less of a question, but it wasn't certain either.

"Yes, yours," Emma reminded and then Regina settled back in between the blonde's legs, this time using both her fingers and tongue.

* * *

"Oh my god," Emma sighed out as she collapsed onto her back next to a similarly panting Regina. "I think I broke my strap on after that last round. I'm just gonna add it to the list of things you owe me, like a new outfit and a new bed-sheet and pillow set."

"I didn't mean," Regina swallowed as she tried to regain her breath, "to."

The sheets were completely soaked with their past activities and the pillow had been ripped apart by Regina's fangs as she had tried to cover her cries so that the neighbors wouldn't hear. It had been in vain. Her cries had been too loud.

"It's okay. As long as you feel better," Emma murmured sleepily, already ready to go back to sleep. It was what, 10? She'd been going at it with Regina for the past four hours or so. Mainly Emma had been trying to give it to Regina succinctly. To leave her satisfied for at least the next day. She'd pulled out her whole arsenal for this. Fingers, tongue, dildo, vibrator, strap on and so forth and on. She was beat. This had been more work than fighting Maleficent had been.

Regina had also given as good as she got and Emma knew she was going to be pleasantly sore for at least a week. And she'd have to wear long sleeves and scarves for a while. Regina's marks were all over her, the woman having left monster sized hickey's everywhere- on Emma's breasts, her neck, her shoulder and the inside of her thighs.

Emma huffed in amusement to herself. Monster sized hickey's cause Regina was a vampire. Ha.

"I do," Regina husked, magicking a blanket onto them and snuggling up to Emma. Emma wrapped her arm around a curvy waist and was instantly conked out within seconds. Regina was slower to go to sleep, using feather light touches to trace the contour of Emma's jaw, the line of her neck, her collarbone. She could still taste Emma on her lips, feel her between her legs.

_Mine_ _,_  she thought, fiercely protective. But it wasn't just the beast in her that thought it this time.

* * *

Regina woke up before Emma, gently pulling free from her and gathering her clothes up. She needs a shower but she'll take it at home because if she stays here any longer she might combust from want once more. This time the beast inside her is more sated, which is a miracle in within itself. She never thought it could be, but it's almost purring inside her, urging her to take a different course of action.

_Mate is tired. Mate needs sustenance after the activities. Feed her._

Regina was on edge at that, finding it so odd that the virus could be so...caring towards Emma where in all other causes the virus caused the infected to go crazed and to hurt indiscriminately. Something is off about the way Regina is being affected and Regina wonders if it has to do because she and Emma are so close as friends and as co-parents. Or maybe it has to do...with what, exactly? She doesn't know but the beast inside her does and it unnerves her how well it seems to think Emma is it's mate. It's perfect match.  _If monsters could even love_ , she scoffs to herself.

It must just be a weird side affect.

She quietly makes a late lunch for Emma and then sneaks out of the house before she can be tempted to stay back and wake Emma up with gentle kisses to the side of her face. The more carnal aspects of Regina's monster side toward Emma are expected and make sense. But these softer feelings...don't.

She needs to do more research on this. And if books and the internet will only give her so much, she needs to look somewhere where she can get concrete results. And that means going outside the wall. The barrier that has kept Storybrooke safe for so long.

She doesn't know what she'll find out there, but with her new powers and her infected state, she doesn't worry too much about any harm that could befall her. And she won't be telling Emma anything either, because she knows the blonde will worry over her. She'll do this in secret, just like some other things she has been keeping secret from Emma for the blonde's own sake.

Determination in her veins, she poofs over to her house to avoid sunlight and starts planning for her course of action. Halfway through her phone buzzes and she checks it to see that Emma has texted her.

**Thnx for the food.**

Three dots as Regina waits for Emma to continue texting.

**R u okay now? Need anything else?**

Regina sucks in a breath. There are definitely more things she could need from Emma, but she won't let her mind fall into a fantasy right now. She has bigger things to worry about. Namely on not ruining this relationship she has with the savior just because of some stupid virus.

**I'm fine for now.**

She hesitates, before adding on something more.  **Thank you. For everything.**

On the other end of the phone, Emma's brows furrow up as she glares at the little screen. It all sounds so formal, the thank you. Emma sucks in her bottom lip, worrying at it. Damn it. She feels so insecure. Does Regina really not see this as anything more? As there  _never_  being anything more?

Emma knows it's foolish to hope, but surely there has to be some reason why Regina keeps lusting after her and no one else. Or at least, Emma hopes there is no one else involved in this. But right now is not a great time to bring up emotions when they pale in comparison to what Regina is going through and what the outside world looks like.

Maybe when everything is resolved they can talk about what this all means.  _If_ , it means anything at all. Emma clicks the phone shut and stretches her arms above her head. She's going to be deliciously sore for a couple of days.

* * *

Regina teleports to the border of the town, heels sinking into the soft mossy ground and crickets chirping in the air. It will be a dangerous world outside to navigate, but it's not like she can get sick. She's already sick. And, she needs answers. A cure, preferably.

But, one never knows what can be found outside the border, besides the expected chaos and blood shed. Sucking in a breath, she steps through.

Instantly her senses are alive with sounds and smells not like those in Storybrooke. Regina can smell the blood and smoke from here and she has to steel her muscles before she takes an involuntary step forward, teeth bared and a growl coming to life within her throat. It takes longer than she would like fighting this thing inside her, her nostrils flaring with the effort and her fingers curling and uncurling. Out here she doesn't have magic to fight, to defend against, to control, this thing inside her. She was aware of that when she first stepped out here but now she's not as sure in her ability to control herself.

_Emma. Emma would not be happy if I did something like kill a human_ , Regina tells it and the beast shrinks back, realizing it's true.

_No, she must be happy,_  it frets and relents and Regina is able to let out a shaky breath. She has managed to tame it for now and she shakes her head, and takes a step forward of her own volition.

She didn't bother bringing a car because she didn't want to clue Emma in on it being gone in case she drove past the house on her midnight shift. And something told Regina she's fast enough on her own without a car.

Her body comes alive, thrumming and brimming with caged energy she hasn't released in a while. And like this, it's almost easy to forget what a burden being a vampire is when she can move so quickly. When she feels so strong. Unbreakable. Unstoppable.

She pulls into the nearest town and carefully picks her way through it, not even out of breath from her run. It's almost like she took a brisk walk.

Here her powerful nose can pick up on the stench of decaying bodies and of leaking motor oil and rotting food. She wrinkles up her nose in disgust and swallows down bile that wants to rise to her mouth. She doesn't know exactly what she's looking for, but this is as good a start as she'll ever get.

She picks her way through litter and chunks of building and cars. On the news the devastation had looked...less. Out here, it looked like so much more. Like it was real. The impact of it fully hit her. The world was in real danger of ending and she had been sitting inside her safe bubble, doing nothing. If the world out here ended, it didn't matter if Storybrooke was fine, because the very fabric of this universe could rip at the seams and they could end up back in the Enchanted forest, or worse, discorporated.

Regina let out an aggrieved sigh. Emma had been right to a certain degree. They had to do something. Something to fix all this, otherwise Storybrooke was in a whole other world of danger.

Regina couldn't help but feel a bit helpless in the face of all this. Of the Herculean task awaiting her. She closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose. One step at a time, she reminded herself. That way everything would be alright.

But as the night wore on and Regina scoured the town, looking into the local pharmacy for maybe some medicine, looking into the news station for hopes of any unprinted news she could use, she found the place was mainly a ghost town with a couple infected here and there, skittering through the ruins. She could feel their eyes on her, but none dared to approach her, either scared or disinterested.

Feeling irritated by the lack of progress, Regina decided to call it a night for now and head back before the sun rose. Without her magic here, she would be at the mercy of the light if she was out for too long.

But this wasn't Regina's last foray out. It became an almost nightly occurrence and with her vampire state, she didn't need as much sleep as before and so she rarely felt tired.

She ventured out, using her new found speed to race by to her destinations. It's oddly freeing, being able to rush so carelessly and quickly. The wind rushes through her. The surroundings are a blur. And her heart sings as her bones and muscles stretch, the beast inside her salivating at being able to finally be put to use. It's almost another type of addiction of it's own.

She's fast. Faster than she can remember other vampires being. Her feet barely touch the ground as she soars and she pushes faster and faster, her muscles aching but in a delightful manner as she pushes herself even more to see how far and how fast she can go.

When she comes down from her run, it takes her a bit to remember herself because the urge to keep going, to get to the other side of the world, fills her to the brim and she has to remember why she is out here, why she is running in the first place. And then the vampire inside her snarls like an upset pup and slinks back, curling its tail around its paws and awaiting patiently for her to call out its powers once more.

And it's delighted to show off when Regina comes face to face with some cocky vampire upstarts. Regina's been traveling farther and farther from Storybrooke in hopes of finding something. And she does find something: disappointment.

Occasionally she sees humans, struggling to survive and she avoids them because she doesn't want to be tempted by their blood, or have to run from them because no doubt they will see her as a threat and want to kill her and then she'll be forced to fight them. The vampires she is less worried about. For the most part they seem unsettled by her and she likes it just fine that way.

But when some do cross her path, she meets them head on.

With annoyance and disdain at first. She drops the empty medicine case of a governmental worker sent to take samples and straightens up from her crouch. "What do you want from me?" she huffs, irritated when they sidle up behind her, way too close to be simply observing out of curiosity.

"You carry the smell of delicious human on you," says the leader, a boy with shaggy blonde hair and a piercing in one ear. "Why don't you share?"

This clues Regina in on the fact that they can smell Emma on her, and that potentially she could be making a scent path back and forth from her town by being so careless and thoughtless about scenting before. It makes her most displeased, especially when they speak so disrespectfully about Emma. "I'm afraid there isn't anything left to share."

But vampires in the outside world cannot be reasoned with and so her saying no does nothing except make them angry. Additionally, they are hungry, looking skinny and starved.

"We can still smell that she's alive, you bitch," growled out the fatter of the trio. Their shoulders hunched up and their fangs were bared. "You've been fucking her and not drinking her blood."

They could tell all that from just her scent? How mortifying and potentially dangerous.

"You're one of them soul mate bitches," snapped the leader. "Your kind disgusts me. People are to eat not love."

A soul mate bitch? What did that even mean? "What are you talking about?" she asks, turning to face them. The leader stands in front while his two lackeys circle to her sides, caging her in the space. Anger thrums under her veins and the vampire inside her yowls in excitement, ready to shed blood and protect their mate. But whatever he is speaking of, she will learn no more because in the next second chaos explodes around her.

She's never fought hand to hand before, or even used her vampire powers for violence but she doesn't need to worry. Instincts take over and she's moving on adrenaline and rage alone. To an outsider, the fight would be an incomprehensible blur of motion and hissing and loud sounds of impact. But to Regina everything seemed slowed down, as if the vampires were moving through tar. It was the most odd of sensations but it helped greatly. She was able to react in milliseconds, hands lashing out to scratch, feet kicking, or abdominal twisting to avoid injury.

And the trio of vampires are tough, insistent idiots. They would kill Regina to get to Emma and no doubt will follow the scent trail Regina has made in order to get to Emma. So it means Regina only has one choice. To kill them.

She's already helped Hook and Emma slay a few vampires. Except this time, it'll be different. She'll be fast enough to actually do it properly.

Starved and surprised by Regina's ability to dodge them, they don't present much of a challenge. Regina's hand bursts through one of their chests and rips his heart out, grinding it to ash in her hand and he falls to the ground, done. The other two don't waver at their comrades death, just power on, even more maddened by the additional blood lust.

They redouble their efforts and Regina gains a couple of superficial scratches and bruises. But there is no way in hell she's going to lose this fight, not when it comes to protecting Emma.  _They must never dare reach Emma. We have to protect our mate!_

Regina doesn't need further urging. She lashes and lunges and is rewarded soon with another vampire's death, gone in the same bloody way as the first. The leader now is all that is left and he begins to waver in his decision to attack her. His hesitation is all the edge she needs to finally fell him as well in one quick clean motion.

There's something about flesh on flesh violence that is even more intoxicating than when she had used magic as the Evil Queen and killed hundreds. It's so personal. So intimate. The beast inside her wants more.

But she won't let it have more. With a quick input on how Emma would disapprove of this, the beast gives up. It seems using Emma is a good way to control it. She needs to head back now and clean up, and find a way to mask her scent so that nothing like this can happen again.

But while the night is about secret discoveries and clue hunting, the day is all about Emma.

Regina can't seem to get enough of her. Correction, the monster inside of her can't. And maybe there is more than Regina would like to admit on how she's starting to see more and more how her human part needs Emma too.

She's always seen Emma as head strong, stubborn, valiant, and determined. She's admired her for many things and it seems the beast inside her is only making her more aware of these good qualities that Emma has. And while she tries to fight it, tries to fight the insatiable urge to mark Emma with her lips and teeth and nails, she finds she cannot resist.

She wants her. All of her.

All the time.

She doesn't even have the capacity to be disappointed in herself when she picks up the phone and calls Emma. She should working on cracking the clues to this virus but she can't focus when all she can think of is pale flesh and blonde hair spun around her fingers.

Emma answers on the first ring and Regina's heart leaps into her throat, as the spot between her legs throbs fiercely. She sighs out. "Emma..."


	11. Crawling Back to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: CW- a nightstick gets abused fyi.

* * *

_Anything to break the silence_  
_You're holding me back_  
_Confined by doubt_

_You make me sick_

_But I love what we're doing here_

_-You Make me Sick, Egypt Central-_

* * *

"Emma, I need you." That was all that needed to be said; the shakiness in Regina's tone of voice implying the dire nature of the situation. She hated this begging, this absolute reliance on someone else, but she had no option. It either that or drown in her own desires.

"I'll be there in five," Emma said, already jolting out of her seat in urgency and pointing at David, "You're in charge dad. I'll be back soon."

"Emergency?" he questioned, looking up from his paperwork.

"Yea, but I've got this." She didn't want him questioning her anymore about it so, she hurried down the steps of the police station and got into her cruiser, pushing the gas pedal down hard.

Meanwhile, Regina was pacing the length of her mayoral office, gnawing on the pad of her thumb, something she never did. And it wasn't out of worry, but more for control. She was trying to tame this beast living in her skin, claws scrabbling to free itself and tear into soft yielding flesh. Her skin felt tight, like it was constraining her. She wanted to be free of it. She needed sweet release, now. The freedom of fingers in tangled hair, of Emma's delicate taste in her mouth. Thinking of Emma only made her skin pulsate now, like it was actively conspiring to make her suffer with covet.

Damn it, where was Emma? She was supposed to be here! What was taking her so long?

Regina needed her; felt like she was suffocating in a skin too warm and heavy to be hers. To alleviate some of the pressure she unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt, the tops of a wine red bra peeking out. Cool air hit her flesh and it felt better, but just a minuscule. She longed for more, hungered for the only touch that could free her from the cage of her own body. Emma's hands held the key to liberate Regina's desires.

Regina could hear her now; hear her heavy boot steps through the wooden door and could barely contain herself, the beast in her piercing her stomach, manipulating her hands and feet. As soon as Emma stepped through the door, Regina was on her using her super human speed, grabbing her by her shirt front and slamming the door shut with her foot before spinning them into the wall so hard the picture frames rattled.

"Jesus, Regina!" Emma cried out at the abrasive manhandling.

"What took you so long?" Regina demanded in a hoarse voice as her hand shook, still wrapped up tightly in Emma's shirt, the rest of her body poured on top of the blonde, soaking up the delectable heat between them. Emma's delicious scent wafted up to her. All vanilla and soft spice and Regina's mouth watered at the loud pounding of the sheriff's heart. Regina felt the urge to drink Emma's blood war inside her briefly before her lust won out, other hand curling onto the button of Emma's pants possessively.

"Took me so-? Regina, it's only been five minutes," Emma sputtered out, trying to move but Regina was too strong to budge.

"It felt like more," Regina said softly, biting down on her lip. Emma was here. Emma was hers. She swallowed heavily at the thought of being able to taste the sheriff's most intimate of places. The beast in her surged forward without another thought and so she did too, cutting off Emma's remark with her lips and tongue.

Emma sighed and let her eyes slip closed. They'd talk about this later. Right now she wanted to help alleviate Regina's state- the woman was clearly agitated and needed reprieve.

Regina's tongue went in deep, trying to taste each crevice of Emma's mouth, trying to twine around the blonde's tongue and occasionally sucking it into her own mouth, eliciting a small moan from Emma. They kissed for a while, tongues battling for dominance before Emma let the brunette win. Regina's hands began to unbutton Emma's shirt and the blonde shivered as cool air hit her overheated skin. The arousal that had started a spark between her legs as soon as she had heard Regina's dire request for her, only got stronger and stronger as nails scrapped down from her collarbone to her bellybutton before raking back up and down several times, until they clawed around Emma's bra and ripped it off.

 _There goes another bra,_  Emma thought wistfully. She might as well stop wearing any at this rate.

Regina moved her lips down to Emma's left breast and sucked it up greedily into her mouth. She knew Emma wasn't wet enough yet to go down on her, and Regina wanted the blonde's wetness filling her mouth, spilling down her chin. Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head at that thought and she sucked harder, other hand kneading Emma's right breast impatiently.

Emma let out a moan and her hips bucked up, meeting Regina who ground down her hips in answer, starting a broken rhythm that flattened Emma into the wall with little space to move, the brunette's body undulating on top of her, harsh material of her shirt rubbing against Emma's skin.

Emma pulled Regina's head in closer, holding her there before the brunette moved away and they were kissing again, Emma's arms wrapping around Regina's shoulders as the blonde tilted her mouth to give Regina more space for her tongue. Regina took the opening to shove her tongue in as forcefully as she could, body trembling as this time Emma sucked on her tongue.

She violently slammed her hips into Emma's at this, causing the blonde to grunt out in surprise and the picture frames to rattle so hard one of them fell down. But the hip motion did nothing to quell the burn inside the former queen. She needed direct contact, but she wouldn't allow herself some until she had tasted Emma first, and from the smell of it, the woman was now ready exactly how Regina wanted her to be.

With Emma's arousal swimming in her hyper alert nose, Regina slowly slid down her body, kissing where she had left raised marks on pale skin before she got to the sheriff's belt. She undid that first with hands shaking in anticipation, with hands that tried to be gentle, but she quickly failed, unable to hold herself back. Pants were torn off and flung all the way across the room where they hung on a statue's head. A thin line of moisture had trailed down Emma's leg and Regina licked that up first, not wanting to miss any part of this experience. She followed the trail all the way up to wet underwear, letting her lips suck on the wet spot there, feeling the heat and need of Emma against her.

"Shit," Emma cursed as she felt electricity race up and down her spine starting from that one spot. Since when had Regina become a tease?

Regina stopped her soft suckling and going up, hooked her fangs into the lines of the underwear before, with a slightly animalistic growl, she tore them to strips with a jerky head shake.

Okay, so Emma should stop wearing underwear too. Cool, she got the memo.

Any other thoughts she might have disappeared because Regina dove in without a second's notice, tongue rough and searching for all of Emma's weak spots.

"Mhm!" The blonde threw her head back against the wall as she writhed in pleasure. Regina's hands slid up her stomach, pushing her against the wall, reveling in the feel of muscles going taunt and flexing, jumping like a live wire was underneath. Emma pulled Regina in closer against her, not ashamed to grind down on the other woman's face, letting the woman's nose bump against her clit. She wasn't going to last long at this rate, her legs already shaking with the effort of standing.

Regina could hear the roar of Emma's blood in her ears, feel the way her core's muscles tugged on her tongue like it couldn't get enough. And then there was so much wetness spilling free, dripping onto the tops of Regina's shirt as Emma came with a muffled cry, having shoved her hand onto her mouth on the account that Regina's secretary was outside.

Emma slid down the wall, legs giving out and feeling like jelly.

"Oh fuck," Emma breathed, trying to regain her breath. Regina shuffled over to her on her knees, lips latching onto the blonde and sucking onto her ear lobe.

Goosebumps sprung up on Emma's neck and she turned her head more to give Regina better access. She knew the woman wouldn't be satisfied yet; Emma had a long road ahead of her.

Already the brunette's fingers were circling over Emma's slit, gathering up the left over moisture there and spreading it around. Regina was making a pleased sound in the back of her throat at the feel of Emma's wetness, at the feel of the pulse she could pick up there, fast and hard.

"Don't hold back," Emma said in a voice husky with want. It seemed like neither was she entirely satisfied too. She wanted more, more from Regina than just her tongue no matter how wickedly well it did it's job.

Regina let out a happy moan as she sank her fingers up to the knuckle into Emma's center. It was tight and it tightened even more on those three digits. Emma spread her legs more so Regina could settle comfortably between her thighs as she began to thrust into Emma into a pace that could only be described as frantic.

Emma moaned loudly and turned to meet Regina's mouth, the two sharing a sloppy kiss that was more teeth than tongue as Emma's pleasure began to build into a soaring crescendo.

Regina's free hand came up on the small of Emma's back, pulling her in even closer as her fingers found a new angle that had Emma practically screaming into Regina's mouth. Emma's hips had lost their rhythm at this point and all she could do was wrap her legs around Regina's back and chase the woman's limber fingers.

When she came, she came all over Regina's hand, slowly and limply sliding off of Regina's comfortable lap and resting her back against the wall as she tried to clear her vision from white light and tears.

Regina took the time to clean her hand of Emma thoroughly, licking up every trace with her tongue as Emma recovered. It was ridiculous but Regina already missed how the blonde tasted, how it felt to be face deep in her. She lowered herself down onto her stomach without a word and began the process anew.

"Oh God," Emma moaned at the sensation of a tongue on her overtly sensitive muscle. "You're going to kill me one of these days from all this."

Regina merely hummed in agreement into Emma's very core as she closed her eyes and held onto Emma's thighs to keep them from clamping shut over her head, drinking in the taste of Emma and nibbling and savoring her soft nether lips. It didn't take long for Emma to shake and groan her way into a third orgasm, one that Regina kept licking and sucking through until Emma was forced into her fourth one.

She had to tug Regina's head up from between her thighs because her whole body was aching; the back of her head from hitting the wall as her orgasm overtook her, her clit from too much sensation, even her back from being pressed against the wall for so long. Regina sat up and kissed Emma hard, breathing through her nose as Emma raked hands through short locks.

Regina's hand was beginning it's path back up to Emma's slit but Emma tugged on it and brought it up to her lips, placing gentle kisses on each knuckle that had just been deep inside her.

"Let's go somewhere more comfortable," Emma suggested because she was cramping up, and Regina gathered her up in her arms in answer, Emma looping her legs around the mayor's waist, center pressed against her stomach as the brunette walked them over to her chair and sat down heavily with Emma now straddling her lap.

The mayor's eyes were still dark, still containing that insatiable spark. Now it would be Emma's turn to please her. "Stay put," she warned when she saw Regina wanted to surge up and kiss her, hand already crawling to the spot between the blonde's thighs again. Emma pecked the top of Regina's head and slid down to her knees in front of her, spreading her legs wide open, and pushing the mayor's skirt up. She wasn't even wearing underwear which made Emma pleased for some matter.

Glistening wetness awaited her, Regina's nether lips so swollen with arousal it looked painful. And yet Regina hadn't said anything about it, instead choosing to fuck Emma thoroughly. And she probably wouldn't have even mentioned this unless Emma forced her too.

She was going to make sure that Regina got her well deserved release. She kissed an apologetic path up from the mayor's ankle to her knee to the inside of her thigh, able to smell Regina's heavy arousal, tinged with spice and apples. She planted a kiss there and Regina's thighs immediately clamped shut around her head. Emma had to push them aside to plant another kiss, this one resulting in a full body shudder from Regina as she shakily sighed out at the welcome touch.

Emma licked her lips, Regina's taste already on them, before she used the flat of her tongue to swipe up and down her slit.

There was a gurgled sound from above and Emma looked up to see the brunette with her eyes shut, biting down on her clenched fist. She wanted to see more of that, but she figured she'd have another time to tease the mayor like this relentlessly. She had already made her wait long enough. She drove two fingers right into her and Regina's spine straightened up in her seat like she had been shocked.

"Fuck!" she shouted out, fist smacking down hard onto her desk top, leaving a crack behind that neither noticed.

Emma pumped in and out, with no mercy, one hand kept on Regina's quivering thigh to prevent her from crushing Emma's head.

Regina shoved her fist back into her mouth but it did little to now stem her pants and cries of ecstasy. And then Emma added her tongue to the mix.

"Emma, Emma!" Regina near but all screamed out, her chest heaving heavily with her cries, the woman who she was referring to now tongue deep inside her, two fingers pushing in and out at an impossible pace. She threw her leg over the kneeling blonde's shoulder to get even closer and nearly sobbed in pleasure when Emma was able to achieve an even deeper angle, fingers glancing off of walls that tightened and pulsated with increasing arousal.

Emma merely hummed in acknowledgment and gently scrapped her canine against Regina's clit, causing the woman to jerk roughly forwards in her chair, eyes closing so tightly that tears came out as she finally orgasmed, bending in on herself, hands tugging on Emma's blonde locks.

Breathing rapidly as Regina came down, Emma got up from her spot and wiped her dripping mouth with the back of her hand before giving a kiss to Regina's plump lips. She looked totally sexed up, and Emma had to hand it to herself, she had done a good job. Brunette hair tousled, cheeks flushed, eyes dark with lust and shirt open up to three buttons revealing the tops of bra clad breasts. It was her favorite look on Regina to date, right after mischievous, and teasing, and full of love for Henry, and the I'm angry but I don't kill anymore so I can't kill you look.

"No need to cry. I know I'm beautiful, and that my beauty can be overwhelming," Emma winked.

Regina didn't have the brain capacity to respond to that wittily. She wasn't done yet; the monster in her demanded more and Regina was intent on flushing that urge out of her body. She was almost there. She could feel it. "Desk. Fuck. NOW." There was no denying Regina's commanding tone, so Emma pulled her up and giving her a succinct kiss, pushed her flat onto her stomach on the desk. The cool wood was a shock on Regina's overheated skin and she loved it.

"Wait here," Emma said as she got an idea. She strode around the desk and hastily looked through her discarded belt before she found what she was looking for. Smacking the long black object in her hand in satisfaction, she rounded back behind Regina once more.

The touch of the cool plastic sent a chill through Regina and she couldn't help the way she spread her legs as the tip of the new toy teasingly went up and down the back of her thigh, never quite close enough to where she needed it.

"Emma," she whimpered in despair. She was still boiling with arousal, and while she was no longer feeling like she would overflow with it, she still needed something cool to quench her thirst.

"Oh, my bad. Do you want this?" Emma asked faux innocently, letting the tip of her nightstick press against Regina's opening. The woman bucked her hips to meet it, to swallow more of it up inside of her but Emma's strong hand on her back kept her down.

Emma knew she shouldn't be teasing Regina like this, but it was hard not too, when finally she had all the power over the brunette and could get her to squirm and pant for her like this. She took the tip away and began to trace it back up and down Regina's legs once more. This time it was sticky from her arousal, leaving a wet trail behind that Emma felt compelled to swoop in and clean up with her tongue.

Regina moaned her frustrations once more, wanting Emma to already be inside of her and fucking her hard with that nightstick. Her stomach twisted at the touch and something deep inside her pussy clenched at the thought of Emma powering right into her, claiming the deepest part of her for herself with that long rod.

"Emma!" Regina said with more urgency, turned on beside herself at the idea and Emma sensed there was something different in Regina's tone now. She felt guilty for her little act and decided to move on. The tip of the nightstick edged into Regina's opening and she nearly sobbed with pleasure as it continued to go in slowly inch by inch until it had reached as far as it could go.

She rolled her hips at the addition and bit her lip as she felt a new gush of wetness rush down her legs. "Emma," she whispered this time because her voice was failing her. Emma spread Regina's hips even further apart with a nudged knee, and with a hard grip on her nightstick with her right hand, she began to move in and out.

Regina's hands scrabbled on the surface of the desk, needing something to latch onto as pleasure began to roll over her in waves, hips rotating with each thrust to swallow up as much of the nightstick as she could. She reached out and grabbed the edge of her desk, holding tight, her muscles straining in her upper arms.

She thunked her forehead down, hot breath misting the desk wood. Emma poured her body on top of Regina's, pinning the moving woman down, teeth finding their place in the junction of her shoulder and neck and staying planted there.

"Fuck, more," Regina hissed, her hips canting up hungrily and Emma threw the whole force of her arm into it, the desk creaking more and more with each motion, Regina moaning and panting more and more with each touch.

And then Emma couldn't move the stick anymore because Regina's walls had fastened down on it and she was coming with a low scream that Emma could feel in her own chest. She planted some kisses down the side of Regina's neck, all she could reach from this angle, until the woman had finally finished and Emma was finally able to pull the stick out slowly, little pants of longing leaving Regina's lips at every inch that she had to give up.

Emma's nightstick was dripping wet and she tossed it to the side, pulling Regina off of the desk and into her arms, fixing her skirt down, and running fingers through mussed up hair. And not a moment too soon. Regina's inhuman hold had caused a crack to go down the whole length of her desk and now the structure, having supported so much, gave a last mournful cry before it fell apart.

Regina, having finally returned to herself, looked over the collapsed wooden structure with a mix of disbelief and surprise. Emma did too. But Regina's surprise didn't stay; it turned into something else. She was furious- with herself- and slightly impressed- by the combined effect that their lovemaking had yielded. "That was a mahogany desk."

Emma shrugged, spread her hands out. "Oops? I'm not the one with the superhuman strength here."  _Rather it'd be the desk than me,_  she added silently to herself.

Regina let out a soul weary sigh and sat down in her chair, hands covering her face. She couldn't believe it. She'd let the beast inside her win again. It really was like an addiction she couldn't shake.

Emma saw Regina shut down again and she felt cold. She couldn't have this. Not when they had been so close before. So intimate. But she knew Regina was beating herself up for her debauchery. and Emma didn't know how to address this issue. Not yet. Maybe she'd figure it out later.

She gathered her clothes, figuring it would be best to leave Regina alone while she dealt with this.

* * *

Emma had the unpleasant business of dealing with Granny's and Ruby's complaints. Two werewolves who were not happy with the fact the mayor was a vampire. And roaming around freely.

"She needs to be taken care of!" Granny declared, slamming her hand onto the desk top and causing the coffee in the cup there to slosh around.

Emma raised her hands to placate her, shushing her as well. She cast a wary look out the window. Even though the sheriff's office was empty, she didn't want anyone over hearing this. "Look, I know it's not ideal but she hasn't hurt anyone. She's been oddly able to control this sickness unlike what we've seen outside the town."

"Hasn't hurt anyone?!" Granny shrilled. "Then where are Hook? And Cruella? And the other queens of darkness?"

Granny raised a good point but Emma knew Regina hadn't done anything like drink their blood because Emma was pretty sure they had turned into vampires themselves. After all, she had seen it happen to Cruella. But she couldn't tell Granny that. "They skipped town. Didn't want to be in the realm of no magic as this shit goes down, which frankly sounds like a good idea," Emma explained. "I promise you, Regina is fine."

"I don't trust her and frankly I'm disappointed you're being so casual about this, Emma," Ruby chimed in, shaking her head. "She was the Evil Queen once. Holding back dark impulses isn't exactly her strong suit."

Emma wanted to argue for her friend's sake but she sensed nothing would be good enough for the werewolves until they had Regina staked. "Let me just handle things my way-"

"We've let you handle things your way, sheriff, for a week now. And Regina is still walking the streets, sneaking off to who knows where at night," Ruby said angrily, growing frustrated now that her concerns were being dismissed.

Emma blinked at this. Huh, she hadn't known that. What could Regina be doing at night that she couldn't mention to Emma? Was she hunting animals for blood? That seemed most likely. She was sure Regina had an explanation. She would ask her later.

"You shouldn't be following her. She's working hard on a cure to this."

"And  _you_   _should_  be following her," Ruby stressed, leaning in closer to Emma. "If she's infected who knows when she might snap. And if she does, someone needs to be there to stop it."

"I still don't like how you're following her-"

"Well someone needs to keep the town safe from her because you're not!" Granny spat, protecting her grand daughter's actions. "And don't think we don't know what she's done! She's seduced you."

Emma flushed red on this as her jaw hung open. "Uh, what?"

"Don't play dumb, Emma," Ruby said more softly, a bit more sympathetic to this plight. "We can smell you guys all over each other." She gestured to Emma's body and the blonde flushed even more. "And...all over this room. Why do you think I declined to sit in the chair? You really should use more Clorox next time."

Oh.

Well.

This was awkward. If Emma could bury herself right now she would. She didn't intend for her business to be out there like this.

"She seduced you and made you turn a blind eye to her, so that she's free to do whatever she wants when she should be locked up." Granny stands firmly in her deductions and Emma rubbed her brow, feeling annoyed and out of sorts.

That wasn't true. It wasn't like Regina meant to sleep with Emma. It was just that the virus inside her body made her need it. Need it like a vampire should need blood. And yet, she was fine with not drinking human blood, unlike Hook.

Strange. This was all so strange. And Emma was just tired about all this.

"Look," she began tiredly but Granny cut her off. "We're giving you two more days to make sure Regina is handled properly. Or else, we're taking matters into our own hands." Granny and Ruby began to stride away at this and Emma felt concern and anger fill her.

"You can't harm her. Or I'll have to arrest you both for aggravated assault on the mayor of this town! She's only trying to protect us all."

"She can't be trusted to protect us anymore," Ruby said soberly and they both walked out, leaving Emma worried for the future of her friend and this town.

* * *

Emma knew Ruby was up to something, and it was a good idea she had parked by Regina's mansion to watch over it just in case. When she saw the wolf sneaking around, she left to go confront her, because this was an invasion of privacy and trespassing.

"Ruby, go home," she ordered, hands on hips and disappointed in her friend. But Ruby did not look deterred at getting caught.

"I haven't been able to trace her because she teleports. So I can't say for sure where she goes, but I'm going inside her mansion."

"What the hell, you can't go inside!" Emma reached out and grabbed Ruby on the forearm. The wolf snapped her teeth at Emma. "Are you not helping?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm helping alright. Helping you from making a mistake. What gives you the right to break into her house?"

"She's not even here."

"Which makes it all the worse!" Emma shouted out.

Ruby gave Emma a long hard stare. "You really don't know what's going on, do you?" Ruby questioned, eyes flinty with some emotion.

Emma felt out of the loop on this, like maybe there was something she didn't know. "What are you talking about?"

"Emma, I can smell them. Faintly, but they're there."

"Who?" Emma asked out a dry throat.

"The Queen's of Darkness." Ruby said this so assuredly that Emma was taken a back.

"The queens? But why would they be here?"

"That's what I want to find out," Ruby stated, her face now grim. "There's no telling what they could be doing along with Regina."

Emma wanted to believe the best in Regina...but if the queens were here...Emma needed to find them as her duty as sheriff of this town. They could be infected!

"Fine," Emma nodded her head tersely. "Lead the way. But, if it turns out to be nothing, you're in a lot of trouble, Ruby."

"It won't be nothing," the wolf said ominously and lead them to the back of the mansion. Emma watched as the wolf picked the back door lock and let them in. The place was lit up, but they both knew Regina wasn't here. Wherever she had gone, they were both lost to, though Emma secretly vowed she would be asking Regina about that later. She shuddered to think Regina was out there, draining victims of blood. Surely, it had to be something good she was doing, right?

Emma wanted to have better faith in her friend...but they were in a hard situation. One that could determine the fate of the whole town. This was no time for butt hurt emotions in their relationship.

"It's this way," Ruby said as she sniffed the air. She caught one whiff and that was it, but she knew if the evil queen was hiding something, it would be in the basement. But when she tried the knob, it zapped her back and she let out an affronted sound of pain. She shook her wrist out. "There must be magic on this door."

If that wasn't a sign of the mayor doing something shady, then what else?

Ruby looked at Emma expectantly. "Well, get on with it. I can't magic open the door."

Emma wasn't sure she could either, but she'd try. She held out both hands in front of the door and concentrated on unlocking it. The magic ward wasn't too strong. If Regina really wanted to keep them out, she hadn't tried. With a few more minutes of concentrating, the door swung open and they were able to descend. Ruby's hand clamped onto her nose automatically. "It stinks in here!" she proclaimed.

Emma couldn't smell anything. "Like what?"

But Ruby didn't answer. She had gone on ahead, stopping cold when she saw the magical prison cells that had been somehow built into Regina's basement. Behind the walls of yellow magic, sat Ursula and Mal. Emma's jaw swung open when she saw them. The two queens of darkness lunged at the walls, hands snaking out to touch them. To get some of their blood. But they were zapped back by the magic, hissing in pain and annoyance.

"Come closer," Ursula hissed. "Even you, wolf. We're starved for blood!"

"We won't bite, much," Mal purred to entice them. It only revolted Emma who took a shaky step back.

"What the fuck is this?" she breathed out, so confused and feeling betrayed.

Ruby's eyes swelled in fear. "Regina's been creating more of her kind!"

Emma's stomach dropped in horror and dismay.


End file.
